Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination

by Jane Magruder Watkins, Bernard J. Mohr

Appreciative Inquiry --a book in The Practicing Organization Development Series --is for leaders and organizational consultants who are ready to abandon the familiar tyranny of complex change programs. Recognizing that human systems are constructions of the human imagination and therefore capable of change at the speed of imagination, the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) process frees organizations from the restrictive orthodoxy of "deficit based change" and allows them the freedom to mobilize strategic change and focus on the visible and tacit strengths of an organization. AI is capable of engaging whole systems at amazing scales--easily engaging hundreds or sometimes thousands of people, often in a matter of weeks or days, to leverage the positive core of the organization. Tap into the rich and inspiring "high point" accounts of personal or collective capacity and link this "positive core" to any change agenda. Once you have have determined what is really working, transformations never thought possible are rapidly and democratically mobilized. "This is a book about the future of organization development. It is a practical guide to appreciative inquiry for organization leaders and organization development professionals and it is a comprehensive explanation at the speed of imagination." --Peter Sorensen, professor and director of the Ph.D. program in organization development and master of science program in management and organization behavior, Benedictine University

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2001

Reviews

[Frany74 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview and great reference book for Appreciative Inquiry.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Incredibly helpful as a practitioner

[Nova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative reading if you'd like to know what Appreciative Inquiry and its development theory.. but not for its implementation. Nevertheless, I found that the writing style is so much like textbooks, a bit boring for me.

[Reuben Rail · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who like to be agents of change, or recognize that they can be, this is a great book. It provides a clear framework, with many case studies, to begin change in any organization or group setting.

[Neena Verma · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the earliest & the best books I read on 'Appreciative Inquiry'. This book has made a definitive impact on my understanding of the subject. A classic read for beginners & advance practitioners alike.

[G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have skimmed this for years. I'll read it all, now. It's really, really good stuff. Almost every page is dog-eared.