Appreciative inquiry in performance management

Appreciative Inquiry [AI], has been applied in a range of setting, though it may be best known in an organisational context. It has been described as the development of ‘textured vocabularies of hope that create new images of positive relational possibility, illuminate fresh avenues for moral discourse, and expand the range of practical and theoretical resources available for the construction of healthy social and organisational relation.[1]’

AI assumes that organisations develop in line with the thoughts and conversations of their members[2], and that the identification and discussion of what works well may be self-realising[3]. Participants of an action research study of a rural community in the Midwestern USA, for example, are reported to have been empowered to improve stakeholder communication, form partnerships between community and local government and act to initiate projects to transform their schools[4].

The notion that organisations develop in line with the thoughts and conversations of their members has been referred to as the heliotropic principle - a biological analogy suggesting that people – like plants – grow towards their source of light. Accordingly, they are drawn toward positive images of the future and positive actions based on the affirming, energising moments of their past and present. Seasoned practitioners of the methodology claim that ‘when groups study high human ideals and achievements— cooperation, inspirational leadership, economic justice, or spirit at work— these conditions flourish[5].

These insights seem especially relevant to the performance management practices of an organisation, where the choice of topic for inquiry may be especially consequential for the individual employee, their manager and, conceivably, the organisation itself. Rather that adopting what has been called deficit-based thinking, that tends to focus on what is not working or what is wrong, performance management practices could help to establish a dynamic in which participants can speak freely about their experiences, based on the assumption that solutions exist to be discovered.

Managing performance based on AI would start by appreciating the best moments and memories in an individual’s recent work history. This emphasis on the positive encourages an individual to discover or create knowledge they can use to positively alter their future. Best moments and memories provide a suitable starting point from which to work rather than a na?ve or idealistic end point at which to arrive. It might seem unbalanced to focus only on the positive, but there is no single truth about an individual’s history, their present or their future to be uncovered. Instead, adopting an appreciate approach can access a more comprehensive and subtle understanding of these matters by establishing a dynamic in which participants can speak freely about their experiences rather than reacting to a focus on the negative by defending or justifying themselves or their actions.

[1] Ludema, J. D., Wilmot, T. B., & Srivastva, S. (1997). Organizational Hope: Reaffirming the Constructive Task of Social and Organizational Inquiry. Human relations (New York), 50(8), 1015-1052. doi:10.1177/001872679705000809

[2] Grant, S., & Humphries, M. (2006). Critical evaluation of appreciative inquiry: Bridging an apparent paradox. Action research (London, England), 4(4), 401-418. doi:10.1177/1476750306070103

[3] Whitney, D. D., Trosten-Bloom, A., & Cooperrider, D. (2010). The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change. Oakland: Oakland: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Incorporated

[4] Calabrese, R., Hester, M., Friesen, S., & Burkhalter, K. (2010). Using appreciative inquiry to create a sustainable rural school district and community. International Journal of Educational Management, 24(3), 250-265. doi:10.1108/09513541011031592

[5] Whitney, D. D., Trosten-Bloom, A., & Cooperrider, D. (2010). The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change. Oakland: Oakland: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Incorporated