Problem-solving was never this easy Marvin Faure 1 PROBLEM-SOLVING WAS NEVER THIS EASY: Transformational Change through Appreciative Inquiry

The use of management methods based on so-called positive approaches is growing apace in the United States and beginning to make inroads in Europe, buoyed by an ever-increasing body of research both underlining their effectiveness and providing their theoretical base. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is one of the most frequently used among these new approaches, and has often been reported as successful in generating “transformational ” change: i.e. a change that leaves the organisation demonstrably different. Since the ability to effect periodic transformational change is vital to the survival of any organisation, the claims made for the greater efficacy of AI compared to traditional methods should be evaluated and the methodology understood so that it may be used to best effect. This paper has been written from a practitioner’s point of view and it is intended to demonstrate what made the use of AI successful in generating transformational change in a number of cases, while providing some practical guidance that may be of use to organisations wishing to effect similar transformational changes in the future