Appreciative Inquiry: A Project

Management Strategy
PMI Meeting
November 18, 2004
St. Louis Park, MN

Presented by:
Josie Lindsay, President & CEO
Bell & Lindsay, Inc.
2316 Richmond Rd
Beachwood, Oh 44122

Phone: (216) 765-0949 Fax: (216) 765-1950

Email: bellindsay@aol.com
 Objectives
• What is Appreciative Inquiry (“AI”)?

• What are the advantages of AI?

• Using AI to increase your effectiveness in:

– Business partnering/client relationships
– Communications
– Team Work
 The Business Reasons
for Project Management
• Solve business problems and seize opportunities
• Understand client needs, expectations, and
measures of success
• Establish collaborative relationships/partnerships
• Build ownership and commitment to project/tasks
• Facilitate achievement of desired results/outcomes
• Mobilize people and resources to get the job done
Why Choose a Particular Approach?
• Knowledge and skills
• Values and beliefs
• Experience and self-awareness
• Leadership styles
• Management expectations
• Organizational climate
• Client/stakeholder needs & expectations
• Etc.
What is Usually Done?

Appreciative
Grateful
28%

Critical/ Fault Finding 72%

 What is “Appreciative Inquiry”?

• Alternative to traditional methods of problem

solving
• Focuses on the positive and what you know
• Uses interviewing and storytelling to identify
possibilities
• Generates a collective image of a better future
• Explores the “best of what is” and has been
achieved
 Example of AI in Action

• Bank was installing new operating system on the

desktop computers
• Two IS groups got into a war
• HR tried traditional problem-solving approach
• Situation got worse
• Outside consultants used AI approach
• Stopped ‘finger-pointing’ of IS departments
• Got project back on schedule
 Another Example of AI in Action

• Installing new wireless network interface

• Again design and testing got into a war
• Manager had meetings to solve problem
• Meetings were complete failures
• Outside consultant used AI method to get team
members to define issues
• Team created a more trusting environment
• Project was finished a month early
 Problem-Solving Compared to AI
Problem-Solving: Appreciative Inquiry:
“Felt Need” Appreciating and valuing the
Identification of a problem best of “What Is”

Analysis of causes Envisioning “What might be”

Analysis of possible solutions Dialoguing “What should be”

Action Planning Innovating “What will be”

Basic Assumption: An organization or a Basic Assumption: An organization or person

person needs to be fixed. has limitless potential/possibilities.

Adapted from Hammond’s Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, based on the work of David Cooper rider
 Phases of Appreciative Model

Phase I
Learning &
Discovering

"The best of what is"

(Appreciating)
Phase IV Phase II
Delivering
Outcomes Envisioning Results

“What will be.” Business “”What might be?”

Topic
(Sustaining Results) (Future Possibilities)

Phase III

Defining and
Committing

“What should be.”

(Dialogue)

© Bell & Lindsay, Inc. 2004 Adapted from the work of David Cooperrider
 AI Application Process
Begin with rapport building questions
(e.g., Self, work, organization)

Then focus on topics under inquiry

(e.g., Communications, decision-
making, teamwork)

Create Appreciative Questions to Conduct Inquiry Interview

explore the topic and future
possible questions
Share, Dialogue, and Uncover themes

Create provocative commitment statements and action plans

 AI Practice Question
• Think about a time when you felt most excited
about or committed to being a member of PMI

• What were the top two contributing factors?

1.
2.
 Interviewing Tips
• Encourage story telling and reflection
– Think of a time when …
– Describe your best experience…
• Use extending statements
– Tell me more.
– I’m really interested in hearing about that in detail.
• Show empathy
– That must have been an exciting experience for you.
– You look really pleased.
– That would make me feel proud.
(Can be used for interviewing individuals or groups)
 Interviewing Tips (continued)

• Use probing questions

– Can you go into more detail on that?
– Who did what when?
– What did you do?
– What were you feeling?
– How did that make you feel?

• Record responses

• In groups, be sure you hear from everyone

Example of Appreciative Questions
Client:
• When the client has experienced project
management at its best, what were the
contributing factors?
– Possible Probes: How was information shared?
How were decisions made? How were roles and
responsibilities defined? What about individual
accountability? What about team accountability?
Example of Appreciative Questions
Client:
• Describe a time when IS/IT performed in a way
that made you feel very satisfied. What made
that so?
– Possible Probes (if needed): Could you say more
about client/IS relationships? What did the leader
do? How were the roles defined? How did
communications occur? What was teamwork
like? Describe the quality of the product/process.
Example of Appreciative Questions
Teamwork:
• When you have experienced teamwork at its
best, what were the contributing factors?
– Possible Probes: How was information shared?
How were decisions made? How were roles and
responsibilities defined? What about individual
accountability? What about team accountability?
 Write an AI Question
• Choose a client or teamwork focus
• Write probes you would use
 AI Application Process
Begin with rapport building questions
(e.g., Self, work, organization)

Then focus on topics under inquiry

(e.g., Communications, decision-
making, teamwork)

Create Appreciative Questions to Conduct Inquiry Interview

explore the topic and future
possible questions
Share, Dialogue, and Uncover themes

Create provocative commitment statements and action plans

 Examples of Provocative Statements
Teamwork
• We meet our commitments to the teams
• We take time to know each other
• We have fun and look for the humor in every situation
• We accept personal and team accountability

Communications
• We listen first
• We request and give constructive feedback
• We value each other’s opinion, even when we agree or
disagree
 Examples of Provocative Statements

Supportive Climate
• We achieve together.
• We ask for help and give help when asked.
• We give credit to others in a timely manner.

Adapted from Lessons From The Field

Questions?