Appreciative Inquiry: How to Turn Problems into Opportunities

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Appreciative inquiry teaches us that when faced with any challenge, the first step is to clarify our objective. If we focus only on the problem, we run the risk of getting stuck. Do you want to know more about this strategy?

Appreciative inquiry is a problem-solving strategy that seeks to focus first on each person’s potential that in the existing limitations, errors or difficulties. It is focusing on the best in people to awaken self-improvement strategies and thereby discover that we all have more resources than we first think.

As we can well deduce, this process is nourished by positive psychology. The interesting thing is that This scheme has been applied since the 80s in the business environment. generating very good results. Perhaps, the time has come to use these types of organizational resources on an individual level. In an increasingly complex world it is always interesting to know this type of methodologies.

It was psychologists David Cooperrider and Shuresh Srivastva, from Case Western Reserve University, who developed this resource. Thus, as the decades have passed, this approach has also been used in the fields of sports, the world of business, economics and medicine. All these scenarios show us that Awakening in people a more positive image of themselves impacts the entire organization. Let’s see what it consists of.

Appreciative inquiry: what it is, what it is for and how it is applied

Many companies in the 80s acted in the following way: when faced with a problem, the triggers were analyzed, a solution was sought and the action plan was applied. Good, With the arrival of appreciative inquiry, the strategy varied in various organizations. Suddenly, instead of focusing on the drawbacks (problems) of a situation, that moment was used to generate a change at higher levels, starting from a positive reformulation.

In other words, when a company, organization, groups of people or even ourselves go through a difficult time, we have two options. The first is to understand what happened and solve it. The second is investigate our potential and take advantage of it to transform ourselves and move forward with greater momentum.

Sandra Wadock, professor at the University of Kansas and a renowned expert in the psychology of change applied to macrosystems, defines Cooperrider, creator of appreciative inquiry, as a intellectual shaman. He had the unusual ability to give new purposes to every enterprise and awaken the wisdom, creativity and innovation of work groups. His proposal is still very valid and is worth understanding.

What is appreciative inquiry?

Beyond finding a solution when we face a problem, What appreciative inquiry proposes to us is to generate positive change. A revolution from the foundations. To do this, Cooperrider defined this concept through five dimensions:

He is constructionist. It allows us to create new future plans, new realities starting from a problem. Build to renew and not just solve.Question to discover. In order to move forward as a company or as human beings, we must be able to question ourselves, but always in a positive way. What could I do to have the trust of my clients? Likewise, what should I do to feel better? What virtues, values, skills do I have to achieve what I want?It’s narrative. Appreciative inquiry starts from the idea that we are all stories. We are all the product of a narrative that can continue to be written in a more exciting, richer and interesting way.Imagine to transform. Creativity and innovation are part of the engine of change. Without them, we run aground.Positive vision. We have pointed out at the beginning, this approach to solving problems is based on positive psychology. It seeks to awaken strengths and values in people that favor the best change.

What is it for?

Appreciative inquiry seeks to improve the functioning of a company. However, his approach can be applied to any scenario, including your own personal development. Its basic objective is wake up strengths human abilities to resolve problems and concerns by changing energy and mental schemas towards a more positive vision.

How does it apply?

Appreciative inquiry is based on a very simple and powerful strategy: questioning ourselves, asking ourselves questions.. At the company level, we always start by bringing together work teams to delve deeper into four very specific areas. Likewise, these keys can also be addressed individually to apply them to our lives, to our daily lives.

Let’s look at those dimensions:

Discover. It is necessary that we become aware of those processes, strategies, activities or actions that we are good at and that are giving good results.Dreams. In this phase, the person or the work team must clarify what they aspire to achieve tomorrow. How far do I want to go? What is my goal or our common objective?Design and plan. The next step forces us to ask ourselves more questions, but also to specify actions. What can I do today to achieve those dreams I have in mind? What should I change to facilitate that progress?Destination. The last step in appreciative inquiry was called destiny and defines the implementation of those changes, ideas and proposals that we have shared. It is time to move forward, to discover that there are more resources in us than we think and destiny can be ours.

What this method seeks is for people to find new meanings in their work, in the company, in their own reality.. It doesn’t matter that you start from a problem; In fact, that challenge is just the excuse to create something new, bigger, renewing and positive. It is worth keeping it in mind.