Learning to Appreciate. A look at appreciative inquiry. Excerpts are taken from, Appreciative Inquiry Handbook (2003) by David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, and Jacqueline Stravros.
Appreciative inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them. . . . Appreciative inquiry is based on the simple assumption that every organization has something that works well, and these strengths can be the starting point for creating positive change. p. 3
Note: When we look for the best in ourselves and other people the dynamic changes. I was working with a group in a rural community. There were two members of the group who had not spoken to each other in years. I asked the group to share an experience where something meaningful and positive happened in their lives. The group began to share. When it came to a woman, part of the non-speaking couple, she took a deep breath and said (I paraphrase), “When the tornado came through and destroyed my house he (she named and pointed to the person with whom she had the problem) came to my house with a van filled with his science class students and they helped me pick through the rubble of my home. They found a metal box that held photos of my parents and other mementos. It was all that was left. The man got up from his seat and walked around the table to her. She was crying. She stood up, they embraced, and their problems disappeared. That’s what happens when we search for the best in ourselves, others, and our organizations.