Organizations seeking to change HOW they work use consider Appreciative Inquiry. The Appreciative Inquiry approach evaluates various viewpoints to create an evolutionary path for the future. It leverages brainstorming, prioritizing, sub-teams, and various other tools we’ve explained in other Best Practices articles, putting them in the context of:

“ . . . study and exploration of what gives life to human systems when they function at their best.”
(see Whitney, The Power of Appreciative Inquiry)

Appreciative Inquiry: Explore the Possibilities

Four Phase Method

First of all, the Appreciative Inquiry approach provides a detailed prescriptive method of information gathering and documentation. Therefore, it requires training and mentoring to learn it and conduct it well. Consider the Appreciative Inquiry approach when you have been properly trained—and your organization seeks far-reaching change.

Its four phases are known as the 4-D model. Consequently, once scope has been determined or is provided, as in the case of many non-governmental organizations (NGO), its phases include:

1. Discovery—search and illuminate those factors that give life to the organization, the “best of what is” for the purpose of the organization.
2. Dream—about what could be.
3. Design—the future through dialogue, finding common ground by sharing discoveries and possibilities, and seeking a common purpose.
4. Destiny—construct the future through discipline, innovation, and action.

Comments on Appreciative Inquiry

Because this method emphasizes an appreciative view of what has been true in the past (e.g., successes, assets, etc.), fundamental change demands a natural baseline. As a result, Appreciative Inquiry encourages a thorough, diligent, and open exploration of what could be true for the organization, once freed from judgment and prejudice.

This method values collaboration at the expense of command-control habits, making it highly amenable to technological change. Appreciative Inquiry workshops span from two days to two weeks, or longer. They rely on many of the tools we have discussed in other newsletters and found in the MGRUSH curriculum.  However, consider using a professional who specializes in Appreciative Inquiry or can be made readily available as your mentor.

Appreciative Inquiry recognizes that inquiry and change are occurring simultaneously. Inquiry catalyzes change—the things people think and talk about, the things people discover and learn. Therefore, inquiry captures the things that inform dialogue and inspire action through the questions we ask. See the originators Whitney and Watkins for additional reading.

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Don’t ruin your career by hosting bad meetings. Sign up for a workshop or send this to someone who should. MGRUSH workshops focus on meeting design and practice. Each person practices tools, methods, and activities every day during the week. Therefore, while some call this immersion, we call it the road to building high-value facilitation skills.

Our workshops also provide a superb way to earn up to 40 SEUs from the Scrum Alliance, 40 CDUs from IIBA, 40 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) based on Federal Acquisition Certification Continuous Professional Learning Requirements using Training and Education activities, 40 Professional Development Units (PDUs) from SAVE International, as well as 4.0 CEUs for other professions. (See workshop and Reference Manual descriptions for details.)

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Facilitation Expert

Terrence Metz, president of MG RUSH Facilitation Training, was just 22-years-old and working as a Sales Engineer at Honeywell when he recognized a widespread problem—most meetings were ineffective and poorly led, wasting both time and company resources. However, he also observed meetings that worked. What set them apart? A well-prepared leader who structured the session to ensure participants contributed meaningfully and achieved clear outcomes.

Throughout his career, Metz, who earned an MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern University) experienced and also trained in various facilitation techniques. In 2004, he purchased MG RUSH where he shifted his focus toward improving established meeting designs and building a curriculum that would teach others how to lead, facilitate, and structure meetings that drive results. His expertise in training world-class facilitators led to the 2020 publication of Meetings That Get Results: A Guide to Building Better Meetings, a comprehensive resource on effectively building consensus.

Grounded in the principle that “nobody is smarter than everybody,” the book details the why, what, and how of building consensus when making decisions, planning, and solving problems. Along with a Participant’s Guide and supplemental workshops, it supports learning from foundational awareness to professional certification.

Metz’s first book, Change or Die: A Business Process Improvement Manual, tackled the challenges of process optimization. His upcoming book, Catalyst: Facilitating Innovation, focuses on meetings and workshops that don’t simply end when time runs out but conclude with actionable next steps and clear assignments—ensuring progress beyond discussions and ideas.