{"id":2375,"date":"2024-04-19T15:21:16","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T19:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.berkanacompany.com\/?p=2375"},"modified":"2024-04-19T15:21:18","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T19:21:18","slug":"appreciative-inquiry-the-power-of-asking-the-right-questions-in-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.berkanacompany.com\/appreciative-inquiry-the-power-of-asking-the-right-questions-in-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Appreciative Inquiry: The Power of Asking the Right Questions in Business\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Change is ever present. It is moving faster and faster with no probability of slowing down. Expecting things to return to normal after a major world event such as the global COVID pandemic is unrealistic. In other words, it ain\u2019t gonna happen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With current technology to process information at a fraction of the time from just a decade ago, change is evident. If you are old enough, you may recall going to the local library to search the shelves for information about a subject. The internet and search engines make that mode of research outdated. You do not even have to go to the library to get the information you need. The decades of the twenties put everything in motion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When was the last time you were in a meeting and a question came up that no one knew the answer to? Someone said, \u201cI\u2019ll ask Mr. Google.\u201d In a few moments, the answer appeared on the screen of their phone. Change has occurred at warp speed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Root Cause Method for Problem Solving <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Relying solely on what worked in the past does not equip you to manage change for the future. With your organization facing disruption or addressing problems, you look for the best way to address the issue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A common practice is root cause analysis. This is also known as deficit theory of change. This is a valuable tool. The four steps of this approach include the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The thinking of this method is \u201cLet\u2019s fix what\u2019s wrong and let the strengths take care of themselves.\u201d While this method may fix the problem, it does not provide an expansive, creative approach which yields better results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Shortcomings of Focus on the <\/strong>Deficit<\/strong> for System Change:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Relying only on this method of organizational change puts the focus on the deficit. We are looking at what is wrong, what is broken, what needs to be fixed. Using a principle of yoga, \u201cenergy goes where you focus.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n It assumes if we fix this problem, we can get back to the way things were. \u201cBack to normal\u201d is a myth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Applying the deficit theory of change for feedback to employees to improve performance does not work. According to the article in Harvard Business Review, \u201cThe Feedback Fallacy\u201d by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall \u2018focusing people on their shortcomings doesn\u2019t enable learning; it impairs it.\u2019<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Focusing on the negative amplifies the negative. A stronger motivation for change is to focus on the possibilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An Alternative Approach to Systemic Change<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the mid-eighties as a doctoral student at Case Western Reserve University, David Cooperrider, developed a method for organization change. The method is based on questioning what is working in an organization as the name implies, Appreciative Inquiry, instead of fixing the problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem is resolved by expanding what is working well in an organization. What is problematic is crowded out by emphasizing what is working well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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