The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry

by Sue Annis Hammond

An Easy To Read Introduction To The Theory Of Change Management That Focuses On What Works. --This text refers to the paperback edition of this title

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Management, Reference, Personal Development, Organizational Development

63 pages, Staple Bound

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Erica Mauter · Rating 3 out of 5]

My chief takeaway from this book is that the words we use are so critical in shaping thoughts. Appreciative Inquiry is an established practice within the field of Organizational Development. This is a handy quick reference.

[Aja · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good intro to the techniques and theory behind Appreciative Inquiry, but f you are interested in this theory of change it will leave you wanting more.

[Sean O · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't get these Appreciative Inquiry books. It's something that is better seen not read
about.

[Joanne Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short (30ish minutes) read, but has a lot of material for such a thin book. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a new way of looking at institutional problems and change by changing the questions we ask and focusing on what businesses and organizations they do well, rather than focusing on what isn't working.

Drawing on the work of Jung and his premise that "no problem is fixed, just outgrown," AI is about helping organizations focus on what they do well and grow and develop their strengths so that they will change and ultimately outgrow their weaknesses.

This is one of about four books in a series that focus on how AI can be used to help organizations develop their strengths and improve on what already works. Two of the books focus on strengths, two of the books focus on the issues of trust in an organization and big problems that no one wants to talk about.

I picked up this books because the first thing it does is set out the assumptions and premises of how AI works, and because it was a technique that I had tried (before I knew that it actually was a technique) working with a middle school church group, I was curious to find out how it worked and how to effectively use it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is in charge of leading a group (large or small) because the techniques in it can be applied to many different situations and help groups improve and become better at what they do.

[Christina Despain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an introduction to the concept of appreciative inquiry (a coaching tool/technique/strategy) which I read because I want to learn more effective ways of peer to peer (no position of power) coaching especially as it relates to the teaching profession; I’ve known for a long time that this is a huge area of growth for me but didn’t really know what to do about that until recently chatting with a friend who is a district coach and she recommended this book to me.
However, this book is so brief that it really only skims the surface, describing the process, the why behind it, and providing some definitions and a few illustrative case studies. But, since appreciative inquiry really needs to be experienced to understand its power and potential, as this book even states and that doesn’t happen reading this book, a reader should not expect to walk away an expert on the theory or application of appreciative inquiry. If anything, the reader comes away knowing how much they don’t know, which I guess is a good place to start!

[Ryan Barretto · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short quick introduction to the wonderful world of Appreciative Inquiry.

I like the straightforward way in which the concept was explained. The interesting thing for me was the assumptions of the model and how they impact behaviour.

I'm going to explore this subject further, but this book will be a quick reference.

Recommended for HR and learning consultants. HR professionals and leaders at all levels.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really, really good. There's a ton in this tiny little book but the basic premise is that we are better served (the corporate we here) by building on strengths than on improving weaknesses. This book is all about finding those strengths. For someone (like me) who manages by positive feedback almost exclusively, this is a goldmine.

[Tenzin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing! I hope more people can read about AI and can apply it to their lives and at their workplace! We need a systems level change at work and this is what we need to bring to those spaces!

[Tania Quigley]

Required reading for CDP course. One of the theories in a way to approach change. AI suggests that we look for what works in an organization, that we appreciate. Discusses the 5-D cycle: Define, Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver 0r Destiny.

[Judith Babarsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very basic, but that was it's stated intention. Some of the editing was poor, misspellings, grammatical errors, etc. Some of the questions in the back of the book are good starters for any appreciative inquiry!

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously doubted such a thin little book could be so packed with valuable and thought-triggering insights!! Great quick read.

[Maureen Koeppel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope every business and church will look at this book and consider using this method.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Quick read. Like the idea more than the book.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was like reading the "Cliffs Notes" for a business consulting technique. I wish all business topics had such a Thin Book for quick reference to see if one wants to dive further into the topic.

[Carolyn Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing approach

Read this book 3-4 times because I like it so much and I’ve seen it work. It’s a unifying and unique approach to improving how businesses and people operate.

[Christiana Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful intro into appreciative inquiry that gives an overview of the method as a change model for organizations.

[Elianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lekker lezen onder werktijd

[Jeff Lampson]

This is a great hip pocket book to Appreciative Inquiry. It is an excellent concept that has it roots here in Ohio through Case Westerm Reserve University. I really value the heuristic nature of AI and this book was an excellent primer and resource. The core concept makes so much sense intuitively in every system something works and it can be build upon. It seems so much more powerful that remedial problem-solving on areas that are just weaknesses of a particular system. This process is a great way to lead groups to new conversations and I think it can lead to conversations with much more depth.

It does have it's downsides such as groups not looking at new internal and external factors that should be considered. The resources are exceptional and a topic I want to apply and learn more about.

[J.A. Simmons V · Rating 2 out of 5]

While a useful tool, I find this method is not the end all method that the book purports.
My biggest sticking point was the authors confusion of basic vocabulary and understanding of reality. One of her main assumption is "Reality is created in the moment, and there are multiple realities." Aside from a intense discussion on string theory, the author is obviously confusing reality with perception, and makes me question the thoroughness of the rest of her logic.
Ultimately, there was no big inspirational moment in her writing, which led me to multiple false starts in reading this short 63 page book. In the end, the author does not prepose any new material that hasn't been hammered home in various other, better written books. At least this book is only $8.

[Beth Ann Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by Janet Boguch (Seattle fundraising coach) at a conference I attended. The session was about change.

The theory behind appreciative inquiry is that rather than focusing on what is wrong with the organization as it now stands, we look to what the team has done well in the past and build on those strengths, knowing that we already possess what it takes to excel.

I used appreciative inquiry as part of a visioning process and it worked very well. I believe that focusing on the positive always adds a plus (acknowledging that we are all working to continuously improve ourselves and our processes) and this theory fits nicely into my view. This is a book I highly recommend!

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice summary and/or introduction to the ideas embodied in appreciative inquiry. Don't stop there, though, follow it up by reading something that goes more in depth. The central idea is that we spend too much energy and focus on our problems, when we ought to be looking at what we do well. Understanding that will enable us to do more of it, and quite possibly apply what we learn to those areas in which we are not doing so well. The "thin book" is easy to read, and presents complex ideas in a simple format that, to some degree, can be immediately put to use.

[Teri Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that this is concise, specific, and in plain language.

Next up: are there similarly written books or other materials on using AI in churches? I don't need them to have long expositions of scripture or theological background (I can see that clearly enough myself)--I'm looking for an expansion of this process into the usual model of church systems.

And, in light of the book I finished earlier today: some sense of how a process like this can play out with a lot of introverts involved. :-)

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to read for DEM course 'Facilitation, Coordination and Decision Making in Multi-Stakeholder Environments.' If a corporate motivational speaker wrote a book on effecting change, this would be it. It has some good info that would be applicable to organisations with weak 'de-brief' culture. But for relatively healthy organisations, it's just another fancy process to integrate into change management.

[Christophe Addinquy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thin it is, but unfortunately a little bit frustrating also. Overall it's a more than decent introduction to this coaching technique. But if we want to be serious or serious practitioner, we'll need a more consistant material. This one is for you if you're guessing to go or not with appreciative inquiry.
Ma note de lecture en Français ici

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received recently from the PA PVAAS team. I'm familiar with the approach, but haven't read Hammond's summary previously. It starts off really clearly and in an inviting fashion. Looking forward to cruising through it (and letting it guide me back into a couple of other AI works on my shelf at home) as I return to the work world in the coming week!

[Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thin Books rule!
This is the second of this series I've read and I wish I hadn't taken a year over reading it! A simple - yet powerful guide to this new concept to me - of Appreciative Inquiry. The idea is to seek the positive experiences of an organisation rather than meditating and creating further negative thoughts. We do best when we feel good. Appreciate Inquiry

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jared got this for me for Christmas...it's been on my wishlist for a while. I'm so excited to read it. :-)

Love this little book. :-) I have already used it several times in various talks. Great intro to Appreciative Inquiry.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was quite focused on the corporate workplace. Was really looking for something more geared toward the non-profit sector, but I think most of what I read can be adapted. What little there was of it was clearly and succinctly written.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

True to its name, this Thin Book gives a good overview to the philosophy and basic practice of Appreciative Inquiry. I found it both helpful and effective, and I plan to do some more in depth reading on this topic.

[Jerry Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very clear description of basic of Appreciative Inquiry and wets an appetite to learn more about AI.
Read more at: http://jerryjennings.wordpress.com/20...