Appreciative inquiry is one of the organizational development approaches and change that emphasizes focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses. It deals with a team or, basically, the organization’s workforce by a comprehensive search of the best in an individual and the relevant skills and training they have in its line of work functions (Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010). It lays concern on the effectiveness of asking questions that boost the firm’s capacity to expand on a positive note (Lewis et al., 2016). Appreciative inquiry is presented in the form of four processes, namely: discovering, dreaming, design, and destiny. The purpose of this essay is to reflect on an organization that I have previously worked with by identifying the positive and negative things that took place in the functioning of the team.
The team’s key positive aspects included good communication style, efficiency in performing duties, effective delegation of duties, and support during a deficit of working ideas. The positive moment that I remember regarding the team’s perfect functioning is when the company received over 300 bookings for conference and workshop facilities (Godwin 2017). When the bookings were confirmed, the material day was characterized by a busy schedule as many people were expected to take on many tasks. During the conference, the colleagues coordinated well by assisting the guests with basic guidelines concerning the event.
Some of the perfect activities that were successfully performed included: showing guests the seminar rooms, assisting the guests connect to WIFI, guiding them towards meal points, and registering them under the sheet provided by the company (Hung et al., 2018). The story could work in appreciative inquiry as management could inquire about the observed strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, it is relevant as the shortcomings can be highlighted hence getting mitigating measures for improvement.
The effectiveness of this team’s performance is measured by comparing the team’s results with the organization’s goals and measuring individual contributions to the team. Additionally, it can be assessed by monitoring the reaction that clients have towards the team’s services. Traditional organizational development could not identify the team’s problems because it did not involve the entire organization, unlike appreciative inquiry that dug deeper into the general organizational functions (Zemke, 1999). It could not effectively give remedies on how the team could improve due to the shortage of information and knowledge for the split organizational elements.
Overall, appreciative inquiry would be better for this team because it looks at both situations. The fact that the team offered perfect services to guests, the approach would also combine the negative side of the team and come out with the best way to improve the company’s functions (Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010). If the team was to hire a consultant, the best approach would be an appreciative inquiry. To add to the reason why the approach is the best option, it uses the reality of the organization through subjective organization and with the team by looking collectively at the group.
Appreciative inquiry is a modern organizational development change that many companies use to solve existing problems. The unique feature of the approach is that it weighs both negatives and positives of a team and comes up with the best solution to the companies’ problems. It involves collective inquiry of all levels of the organization by including the specific group of people who belong to any team. Modern firms are recommended to apply appreciative inquiry as it can make great changes for the benefit of the organization hence conforming to current trends in organization development.
References
Hung, L., Phinney, A., Chaudhury, H., Rodney, P., Tabamo, J., & Bohl, D. (2018). Appreciative inquiry: Bridging research and practice in a hospital setting. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 17(1).
Lewis, S., Passmore, J., & Cantore, S. (2016). Appreciative inquiry for change management (2st ed., pp. 55-72). Kogan Page.
Godwin, L., & Cooperrider, D. (2017). Appreciative Inquiry. Practicing organization development, 96-116. Web.
Whitney, D., & Trosten-Bloom, A. (2010). The power of appreciative inquiry (1st ed., pp. 15-30). Berrett-Koehler.
Zemke, R. (1999). Don’t fix that company! Training, 36(6), 26-33.