Change is a constant—and a constant challenge for organizations. Whether they’re contending with hyperfast growth or big industry disruptions, how can organizations keep from getting knocked off course by change? An approach called Appreciative Inquiry can offer a powerful solution.
In recent years, Appreciative Inquiry has been embraced by governmental organizations, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies. By shifting the focus from weaknesses to strengths, this methodology fosters better relationships among employees, sparks creativity, enhances problem-solving capabilities, and leads to more efficient operations. The result? Stronger, more sustainable business outcomes.
At Fast Company’s annual Innovation Festival, a group of experts discussed the transformative potential of Appreciative Inquiry. The panel included Keurig Green Mountain (now Keurig Dr Pepper) founder Bob Stiller, whose book, Better and Better, talks about his approach to business leadership and who served as the panel’s sponsor. The panelists explored how this strengths-based model can inspire deeper collaboration, fuel ongoing innovation, and shape visions for the future. Here are three key insights from their discussion. (Scroll to the bottom to watch the entire panel discussion.)
1. Come together as a community.
Rooted in positive psychology, Appreciative Inquiry is designed to help organizations navigate disruption. Rather than emphasizing problems, it encourages exploration into new solutions by focusing on what’s already working well, amplifying it, and creating positive change. The process empowers participants to envision bold futures and take meaningful steps toward achieving them.
This process of discovery takes place during summits in which stakeholders from across a company are brought together. David Cooperrider, a professor of organizational behavior at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, said that inclusion should be at the core of these summits. “[You want] the dock worker sitting next to the chairman of the board, who is sitting next to the head of operations, and so on,” said Cooperrider, who is recognized as a pioneer in the field of Appreciative Inquiry.
Coming together as a community in this way can have huge benefits, said Julie Reiter, vice president of human resources and sustainable development at Clarke, a family-owned public health products and services company. Reiter shared how hosting Appreciative Inquiry summits at Clarke transformed the company’s culture, enhanced coworker relationships, and strengthened bonds with suppliers and customers. “It is an amazing thing, and we would not be who we are today if not for Appreciative Inquiry,” she said.
2. Spark creativity and collaboration.
During summits, open-ended questions are key to sparking creativity. Reiter demonstrated this approach by asking the audience to reflect on a professional moment when they felt most alive, energized, and in sync with their strengths: “Consider what you learned about yourself from that experience. Who was with you, who was on the team? What did you learn about the power of collaboration?” This kind of reflection helps participants identify personal and organizational strengths and consider how to re-create the conditions that allowed those strengths to flourish.
Stiller credits Appreciative Inquiry with helping him turn his company into a multibillion-dollar market leader. “The more people you involve in finding solutions, the more creativity you’ll generate,” he said. “Appreciative Inquiry gives you a way to structure questions and engagement.”
Stiller recounted asking his team questions like “What was the best company you’ve ever worked for, and what made it so special?” and “How can we bring those qualities here?” These reflective exercises contribute to continuous innovation and improvements across the company, with employees excited to keep making things better. “It’s a very simple sequence of questions that brings a level of mindfulness and insight into whatever you do,” Stiller said.
3. Overcome skepticism and build trust.
Despite a track record of success, some organizations hesitate to adopt Appreciative Inquiry, often due to past failures using other development systems. Cooperrider acknowledged these concerns but stressed the importance of changing the traditional approach to problem-solving. “Most CEOs experience town hall meetings as ‘We’ve got a big problem,’ and pretty soon it’s just finger-pointing,” he explained, adding that they quickly appreciate how Appreciative Inquiry is engaging and effective in ways that are different from other approaches they may have tried.
To illustrate this, Cooperrider shared the story of a trucking company with significant labor-management issues, including union grievances, that used Appreciative Inquiry to transform its organizational culture. Initially, union members were resistant, physically turning their backs to the CEO at the beginning of the session. However, by focusing on positive contributions and engaging employees in designing solutions, the group built trust. Soon, truck drivers were contributing ideas to redesign dock layouts and company policies, which ultimately led to real organizational changes. Over three years, the company held 65 Appreciative Inquiry summits, saw a significant increase in stock value, and built a stronger sense of collaboration and innovation across all levels.
It can be scary for leaders to create space for feedback from all of the voices in their organization, but it’s important—and potentially transformative—work, Reiter said. She suggested that companies adopting this model need to fully commit, even if they can’t control what may bubble up from employees. “That’s courage and trusting the process,” she said. “It’s the ability to create the space for this to happen and get out of the way and allow it to happen.”
Watch the full panel: