Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry is a four step process David Cooperrider of Case Western University has developed to evaluate and further organizational development. The four stages of this process are :

Discovery
Dream
Design
Destiny

These four steps are to get individuals to ask positive questions and heighten potential. I found in an article that this process was used by American Express following 9/11. After the traumatic national attack moral both nationally and economically were down. Individuals had lost hope and were scared. CEO Ken Chenault saw this is as an opportunity for his company. He brought in his core team of VP's and top executives. Taking this small group thought the four step processes they evaluated the current success and past success of the company. They asked themselves were they wanted to be headed and what dreams have they each individually had for the company. With these new ideas Chenault asked his team to take this information and process back to their individual departments. After several weeks of great discussion executives shared how their visions and moral had changed. AI seems like a positive process leaders can uses to create common goals amongst teams or individual members.
The article I read can be found at the following address:
Giglio, G., Michalcova, S., & Yates, C. (2007). Instilling a Culture of Winning at American Express. Organization Development Journal, 25(4), 33-35. Retrieved February 15, 2009, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1529898851).