This episode of the Between Innovation podcast explores Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a strengths-based approach to organizational change and innovation.

Key takeaways:

Focus on the positive: Unlike traditional problem-solving approaches that focus on what's broken, AI encourages exploring peak experiences and strengths to fuel positive change. This shift in focus fosters a more hopeful and engaging environment.

The 4 Ds:

Importance of crafting questions:

Investing time in formulating the right questions is crucial for eliciting authentic and insightful stories that reveal common themes and shared values.

Storytelling as a tool:

Sharing stories of peak experiences creates connection, fosters hope, and surfaces the collective wisdom of the group. This approach helps build a shared understanding and commitment to change.

Applicability to innovation:

AI can be used to foster innovation by encouraging individuals and teams to reflect on their most innovative moments and identify the conditions that enabled those successes.

Creating a positive energy shift:

By focusing on strengths and positive experiences, AI creates a more energetic and engaging environment that can lead to more effective and sustainable change.

Bringing AI into everyday work:

Leaders can incorporate AI by framing questions that focus on past successes and strengths, even when addressing challenges or performance issues.

Examples and applications discussed:

Learn more at Switch Innovation Lab