Appreciative Inquiry

Some time ago I met with Daryl Travis, founder of the research and strategy firm Brandtrust. It was an enlightening experience. I came away with a deeper understanding of how organizations build a powerful brand and what they must do every day to strengthen it. Some of you have been the recipients of what I learned.

Since that time I’ve been reading the Brandtrust blog. I highly recommend you sign up for it if you want to  receive excellent advice on not just building a brand but building a great company. The October 24 issue is about…you  guessed it…Appreciative Inquiry.

“At its heart, Appreciative Inquiry is about the search for the best in people, their organizations, and the strengths-filled, opportunity-rich world around them.” –Jacqueline Stavros, Lindsey N. Godwin, David L. Cooper – Appreciative Inquiry: Organization Development and the Strengths Revolution.

As a more productive alternative to problem solving, Appreciative Inquiry is a powerful methodology for understanding your organization from a positive perspective and thus building on your strengths to overcome any weaknesses. It gets everyone fully involved in the process and leads to continuous improvement as the positive perspective takes over.

I could tell you more about it, but I’ll let the  excellent people at Brandtrust speak for themselves.

Use this link for the Brandtrust overview of Appreciative Inquiry including a number of case studies and suggestions for how to apply it to your own business. I guarantee it will get you thinking and if you give it a try, improve your results.