The role of appreciative inquiry in meeting the challenges of the next decade

Abstract

The next decade will present many uncertainties and organisational challenges on an unprecedented scale. As the financial crisis winds its way through the system, a new world order is being revealed. There will be no return to “Business As Usual”. This article explores the changes in the external world, outlines how organisations can cope with the uncertainty these changes bring, and in particular the role that Appreciative Inquiry (Ai) can play. It is based on the renewal frameworks discussed in more detail in “Beyond Crisis” (Ringland, Sparrow, Lustig, 2010) and shows how Ai can be used, through case studies and examples.