Appreciative Interviews (AI)
Appreciative Interviews uncover the root causes of success within a group by focusing on positive experiences and shared accomplishments. This method helps build momentum and identify opportunities for growth by shifting the focus from problems to strengths.
Use this method when you want to build trust, foster collaboration, and identify hidden strengths within a team or organization. It's particularly useful when facing complex challenges or initiating a change process.
Solves: Negative group dynamics, lack of shared understanding of success factors, resistance to change.
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Step 1: Introduce the activity and explain the purpose of Appreciative Interviews. (2 min)
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Step 2: Ask participants to pair up with someone they don't know well. (2 min)
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Step 3: In pairs, one person interviews the other, asking them to share a story about a time they were proud of a successful collaboration. The interviewer should focus on what made the success possible. (7-10 min per person)
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Step 4: In groups of four, each person retells their partner's story, and the group identifies common patterns and conditions that supported the successes. (15 min)
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Step 5: Collect the insights and patterns from each group on a flip chart or shared digital whiteboard. (10-15 min)
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Step 6: Facilitate a whole-group discussion using 1-2-4-All to explore how the group is currently investing in these success factors and what opportunities exist to do more. (10 min)
- Encourage participants to actively listen and avoid interrupting during the interviews.
- Help groups identify specific and actionable patterns from the stories.
- Make the stories and patterns visible to everyone throughout the session.
- Graphically record story titles and conditions/assets on a large wall tapestry.
- Invite additional paired interviews before building up to patterns.
- Follow with Min Specs to define the 'must dos' and 'must not dos' for future success.