Appreciate People, Build Strengths. Appreciative Inquiry - AI

Appreciative Inquiry - Build Strengths and Morale, meet Needs


 Build on Strengths
 to Meet Needs

Focus on your Strengths

"Appreciative Inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organisations, and the world around them". David Cooperrider

Strengths-based development for individuals and entire organisations.

Appreciative Inquiry states that, "what you focus on grows". Look for problems - find more problems. Look for strengths, find what's best!

Rather than searching for problems to fix, Appreciative Inquiry (AI) identifies what people are already doing well and extends these strengths to the point where the problems are no longer relevant. It does not ignore problems, it helps people and systems grow beyond them.

AI is central to all our work
Contact us now:

1300 769 909 (in Australia).
+61 2 9449 7737 (international). Or email.

Origins of AI

Appreciative Inquiry was developed by David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva in the 1980s at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. Today it is a rapidly growing global movement, with a strong parallel in Positive Psychology. It finds application in the largest and smallest organisations, both private and public sector.

AI has two main aspects:

  1. A philosophy/approach that can be applied to any situation: "focus on the strengths"
  2. Specific methodologies for use in individual, group and organisational development

One of the outcomes of AI is that people feel appreciated for what they do well, and are motivated to do more of it. It is a great booster for morale.

How we use AI

At Leaderskill Group, we are fully committed to this approach to manager and organisational development.

Our core 360 degree surveys are needs- and strengths-based. They do not  judge the manager or try to identify problems, instead they ask respondents what needs they have of the manager, and what are the manager's strengths. Our unique facilitation process then uses this approach to take this feedback further with the manager.

Our team facilitation methodology involves the whole team in an AI style workshop in which everyone in the team contributes, not just the manager.

Appreciative Inquiry is one of the key methodologies we use to develop Employee Engagement, as part of our programs, such as:

  • 360 Facilitated® Feedback
  • Appreciative Career and Talent Management - Career Progressor®
  • Mega Planning & Sustainability
  • Building Trust
  • Communication Skills Training

Contact us now:

1300 769 909 (in Australia).
+61 2 9449 7737 (international). Or email.

» Click here for information on 360s and other surveys.

Testimonials

"The Leader/Manager model is very, very good and has benefits well beyond the obvious and advertised purpose. Coachees really value its ‘face validity', its power and ease of use..."

Eddie Paterson FAIM, internal executive coach, telecommunications company, Australia.

“All team members who participated found it easy and commented how well it worked. The process of customising was seamless and perfect. Feedback from all team members has been positive and extremely useful for their future development plans. I have recommended the department continues running the 360 survey..."

Victoria Elgott, HR Project Manager of a major Australian bank

“Great site - with a lot of articles that helped me understand what a 360 can really be."

Kate Simpson, Program Manager, Fortinberry & Murray. Australia.

"Leaderskill Group has assisted our strategic planning with their Mega Planning methodology for over seven years. In the article we co-wrote, I estimated that Defence Consulting had saved between 5 and 8 million dollars – without counting the savings of our stakeholders, including government – just on the redevelopment of the historical Randwick Barracks site in Sydney."

Peter Hoskins, Principal, Woods Bagot 

(See published article: ‘Profit and Benefits from Planning for Sustainability’).

“Your continuing willingness to be flexible and adapt your tools and products to the needs of the customer make you an awesome partner!”

Gary Cox, Principal Consultant, Chandler Macleod, Qld, Australia.

“We were extremely impressed with the tools that you have available and very much appreciated the flexibility you showed in adapting to our needs”

Dr Julie Stockton, HR Manager, University of British Columbia, BC, Canada.


“The most significant intervention we have undertaken. Influenced the growth and learning of our managers as leaders ...”

Snr Manager, SADAF Petrochemical Co., Saudi Arabia.

News

Strengths Opportunities Aspirations Results - Appreciative Inquiry (AI) based

14 and 16 November 2012 - Sydney and Melbourne workshops on SOAR (Appreciative Inquiry-based Strategy): Positivity rides yet again!

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