Appreciative Inquiry Part Two

Appreciative Inquiry and conflict – framing and structuring the inquiry for positive change

This is the second of three articles on the subject. In this article I explore how the initial stages of the Appreciative Inquiry cycle can be applied to conflict and building relationships.

When I am called in to consult it is usually because there is a problem – a conflict that people are unable to resolve. It is tempting to start studying the problem and diagnose what is wrong and what needs to be put right – with difficult or protracted conflict it is usually a long list. I can do a good job and in the process show how good a consultant I am, how much I know and how much they need me to fix it – how to deliver on my recommendations – I hope they will figure out that for themselves. I have found such erudite reports can have a very negative or de-motivating impact despite clear recommendations of what can be done about it. Sometimes, they do not really want to know what I have to tell them or are overwhelmed that the gap between where they are and where they want to be seems so great. They feel exposed, defensive and it may confirm their negative feelings about others or their desire to blame. Appreciative Inquiry offers a more encouraging alternative to this familiar scenario.

Most people are drawn to address conflict because it is painful experience, causing them problems and impacting negatively on their lives, work and relationships. If we study the impact and causes of the conflict we learn a lot about how we reach impasse and get stuck in conflict and the destructive consequences of mishandled conflict. However, this may not be the most helpful way of improving the way we deal with it. Core to the change process facilitated by Action Inquiry is:

(a) the change of focus from what is breaking down to what is breaking through and
(b) a change in language and metaphor that effectively changes the construction of reality of antagonists from a negative to a positive framing - from a deficit to a creative mentality.

At the beginning, quite a few people find it hard to believe that this will work and find it challenging even to suspend the belief that it won’t while they test out the process and they may require some initial assistance from an experienced practitioner. Many others get that it works immediately and just have to learn to use it effectively.

(a) The affirmative topic – framing the direction of the inquiry

What we focus on shapes our unfolding reality. So, if we focus on the problems and where we are stuck in conflict, this reality becomes forefront and central in our experience and consciousness. Appreciative inquiry takes the stance of bracketing, or setting the problem to one side, in the belief that focusing on where you want to get to is more beneficial than staring at the barriers. Many find it difficult to imagine what it will be like when they will have resolved the conflict or if they were not having the conflict. They either have not thought about it or find it difficult to imagine or envision such a new reality especially in the midst of polarised conflict. Initially they tend to offer a globalised negative framing of how they would like it to be – they want to be rid of the conflict or at least the pain associated with it. Some people find it difficult to let go of the conflicting role as it helps them feel more alive or gives them a sense of who they are, so letting go the conflict/problem may disturb their sense of identity, meaning and purpose.

(b) Changing the construction of reality – altering the way we are going to look at conflict

Looked at another way, it could be said that conflict reflects the absence of something positive rather than the presence of something negative. The painful experiences we generally associate with conflict suggest the absence of some not yet defined states of joy, connection and relationship which are not yet present. If this is so it maybe we should be spending more time studying what is not there, i.e. what it would be like if the problem we call conflict were not present or had been overcome. This is just what Appreciative Inquiry invites us to do but in practice such a leap from negative to positive is too difficult and needs an intermediate step to help reconstruct the new desired reality. Starting from a positive framing of the direction or topic we wish to study we are invited to explore how much of what we desire is already present in the system and in a later step to build on that by Dreaming or imagining what is not yet there but could exist in the future.

This turnaround from negative to positive can be described in terms of “against” and “toward” values. Knowing what you are “against” gives a sense of meaning, purpose and identity. Knowing what you are “for” takes a little more clarification and produces the same benefits but additionally creates a more constructive and compelling vision, leadership and momentum in the desired direction that the “against” version does not. This positive framing in terms of the direction we want to move is key to generating motivation and momentum for change. Focus on the desired image of the future is core to the success of the change process. Simply stated people are more likely to create a better future energised by working for something than against something. Sustainable change requires we clarify a positive and compelling vision of a life-giving future rather than a vivid vision of what we are against.

This process in AI begins with clarifying or defining the affirmative topic – what do you want to see changed stated in the affirmative. For example, I want a loving relationship rather than an absence of conflict. Then it explores what is the best of what already exists that we can take forward and build on. This stage helps articulate and appreciate what we regard as positive and worthwhile and usually gives a sense of well-being and of being already moving towards realising a desired state.

Defining/ choosing what to study the focus or the inquiry – the Affirmative Topic

It is important therefore to clarify what would change were the conflict to be absent, avoided, resolved, or transformed. Is it one’s sense of self-worth or self esteem, one’s identity or reputation, power imbalance in relationship, communication, the community, or access to opportunity? What is it that you value - that is important, that you desire, that is missing and would be life-enhancing that would make a difference to you and those with whom you are in contention and conflict?

Defining your topic is the first step in Apreciative Inquiry – a 5th D if you like - that many say should be added to the classic 4D cycle right at the starting point. A focus of study that is affirmative, inclusive and which holds open the possibility for all of their desired future, is what is needed at this point; not the detailed vision of what that would look, feel, sound like, etc., which comes later in the Dreaming stage of the process.

The Affirmative Topic answers the question “what do we want to study?” framed in a way that will point the inquiry in the direction we wish to move, one that liberates inquiry without pre-empting the findings. For example, what would lead us in the direction of meeting our needs, better working relationships, enhanced quality of conversation, dynamic teamwork, etc. Topic generation is critical and should be given sufficient time, as the whole direction and outcome of the process will be shaped by this choice.

Structuring the inquiry – the inquiry is the change process

Engaging the whole system that wants to change in the inquiry (or at least as much of it as possible), individual, couple, family, team, community etc. is critical to the success of the method. People are more likely to change if they are invited and choose to be part of discovering and defining the direction. The sense of ownership, experience of collaboration, realisation of common ground and sense of belonging, so important in dealing effectively with conflict, will be generated by partaking in the inquiry and much of the desired change will already have been brought about even before the dream of the future has been envisioned, agreed or implemented.

Once the affirmative topic is agreed, some thought needs to be given to how and who will conduct the inquiry and how the information generated will be gathered collated and shared. These are core decisions that directly impact the change process. There are many options and resources at Appreciative Inquiry Commons may be of benefit in exploring these issues.

Appreciative Inquiry Interviews are one of the most common aspects of the process, so consideration about how to structure them is important. What questions will honour the positive focus and direction? Who will ask them of whom? How will the information be gathered collated and shared? It is usual for a five to six question interview protocol to be prepared in advance of the discovery phase for example – how will these be best framed to serve the purpose of the inquiry. A possible selection are suggested below but these need to be refined and related to context and affirmative topic.

It might be that an individual designs their own inquiry or their coach helps design one and asks the questions. A broader number of people such as a team or family may generate a rich protocol but a community or whole organisation may require a subgroup to propose a structure and protocol on behalf of the whole. Sometimes it may be difficult to ask questions of opposing parties in the first instance, especially in intense or protracted conflict. In such cases it may be necessary to inquire into a less contentious topic to begin with or even to jointly conduct an Appreciative Inquiry into a model or admired system not their own. Barrett and Cooperrider show how effective such an approach can be for those who wish to read further. Generative Metaphor Intervention: A New Approach for Working with Systems Divided by Conflict and Caught in Defensive Perception. The study demonstrates how engaging in the inquiry process itself helps renew hope, overcomes strong negative attributions of opposing parties and rebuilds relationships.

Discovery

The Discovery phase of the inquiry cycle provides an intermediate step towards and platform for the later Dreaming or envisioning phase. It tries to elicit what is best/ valued in the current system. It produces concrete examples and stories of what the positive future might look like in terms of what already exists that people would like to carry forward. For many stuck in recurring cycles or downward spirals of suspicion, negative attribution, contention and conflict, it seems difficult to imagine that it could be any other way. Many have lost hope and find it hard to see any positives when faced with the questions of “what is best” in relation to the affirmative direction and topic. People often dismiss as inadequate or useless the whole of their efforts to deal with conflict either because they did not get the desired result or their relationships were damaged even if they did get it.

The Discovery process and interview questions therefore are as critical as the framing of the affirmative topic in eliciting the positive and renewing hope. It helps highlight, appreciate and celebrate the positive aspects of best practice - of what worked well even if other aspects did not. The purpose of the interview protocol is to maintain focus on the positive and prevent the natural tendency to slide into focussing on the negative – on what did not work. What is not working is ignored or bracketed at this stage and reframed in terms of what could be in the later dreaming phase. The following are some examples to help you generate the five or six questions most relevant to your affirmative topic.

Some examples of positive framing of Discovery questions