ATTITUDES

A Philosophy, A Methodology

Appreciative Inquiry 3

Naresh Karmalker

Within that premise lies the source of something powerful. If our words can determine our future actions, then this means that if we give a powerful, positive, affirmative definition to what we are observing or studying, then it follows that our actions will necessarily be powerful, affirming and impactful! This positive re-defining of an issue to conduct a further inquiry on is known as Affirmative Topic Choice in Appreciative Inquiry. If we could choose to look at an issue in a way that empowers us, that gives us insights into something powerful in the future, why would we want to look at it through the usual, negative-tinted glasses that we usually do?!

AI is both a philosophy and a methodology. We have looked at the philosophy in the earlier two issues. Now, let's look at the methodology of Appreciative Inquiry. The core of the AI methodology is what is called the 4-D Cycle (illustrated here).

The 4 'D's of Appreciative Inquiry are Discovery, Dream, Design and Delivery. As you can see, Affirmative Topic Choice lies at the heart of the '4 D' cycle. Many scholars of AI, in fact, consider that to be the 1st D of a '5 D' cycle - DEFINE!

So what are these 4 Ds and how does one use them in an inquiry?

The first of the 4 Ds is DISCOVERY. This part deals with the discovery of the best from the past. In this part one seeks to uncover the high points, the life-giving moments, the times when something worked, when one felt proud of something in the context of what one is studying. For example, if your topic of inquiry was "Doing the very best in my exams", you would seek to uncover in the Discovery phase, all those times in the past when you had done well, what you did to achieve such a result, what were the factors that helped you put in the effort, and so on. The Discovery process is a supremely energizing process; it is a time when positive stories of change are swapped and learnt from.

The second D is DREAM. In this segment, one seeks to build on what we uncovered in the Discovery phase. Now that we have encountered the best moments in the past, what would 'even better' in the future look like? This phase, though entitled 'Dream' is not about weaving pipedreams. Since it is based on actual real experiences of the past, the creation of the image of the future is rooted in reality and is thus possible. For the same exam analogy, in this phase, you will create an entire picture of you having succeeded in your exams brilliantly and in this picture you will factor in all those little things that worked for you in the past and perhaps tweak them to be a little better!

If our words can determine our future actions, then this means that if we give a powerful, positive, affirmative definition to what we are observing or studying, then it follows that our actions will necessarily be powerful, affirming and impactful!

And finally, the fourth D - DELIVERY sometimes termed as DESTINY. This is when you take the first steps. When you actually take immediate action to actualize your dream. But remember, this is a cycle. Once you have gone through one cycle, you can again go back to the Discovery phase, look at what you have done, distill your best experiences, modify your Dream to be even better than the earlier one, tweak your Design to match the new dream and then take action steps once again.

Sounds complicated? Relax, it is not. In the next few issues we will see how the 4 Ds can be used practically on various different issues and encounter thrilling stories about how AI has been used to transform lives! Till then, keep living - appreciatively!

The Appreciative Monthly Exercise

• This time, we will try out the DISCOVERY phase
• The topic for you is "THE TEENAGER - A Life-Changing Magazine"
• Think about the first time that you held THE TEENAGER in your hands. Recall how you felt flipping through the articles, admiring the images, imbibing the values that came across through many inspiring pieces. How did you feel at that time? What truly struck you about the magazine? What moved you? What inspired you?
• Think about when you were waiting for the next issue to arrive. What made you so anxious to wait for this issue?
• Think about other times when the magazine came to your aid - times when you were in despair and needed guidance, times when you needed a friend and you found THE TEENAGER to be one, times when a beautiful story or article inspired you to go beyond yourself and make a difference? Times when you felt affirmed, supported and truly embraced by THE TEENAGER family. What worked for you during this time?
• Write to us at THE TEENAGER and tell us your inspiring stories.
• Now, try the DISCOVERY phase with other issues in your life. Remember, start with an affirmative topic choice.

Naresh Karmalker is an NGO consultant and citizen activist with a keen interest in training and capacity building. He has been working with Appreciative Inquiry for over 10 years having used it in several countries in varied situations.