Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a modern change management strategy which used to discover positive aspects in people and organizations; identifying and building on existing strengths to create a powerful, purposeful change. AI is a ?systematic discovery of what gives ?life? to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable?. It is a humanistic approach which heightens our awareness of our own potential and the potential of others in an organization, allowing us to overcome limits we impose on our capabilities. AI is about identifying the best of ?what is? to pursue dreams and possibilities of ?what could be?.

AI is the belief that we have a choice to see all possibilities, capabilities and assets and have the ability to ignite the ?best of the past and present? to create a future we desire. AI allows access to a transformational energy that provides us with confidence and the belief that we have the capacity to develop and pursue the kind of future we desire. AI is as ?a world where the impossible is non-existent?.

In an AI change process the first step is designing appreciative interview questions for different areas of the organization. For example, in the topic of teamwork questions could be ?Think of the most successful team group you have worked in within this organization. What were the aspects that made it so successful? Explain in a story what happened.? It is essential that the organizational members realize that the process of doing the appreciative interviews is as important as the data collection. ?While the "appreciative" part of AI is important, "the 'inquiry' is the key".

The 4-D model is one of the many applications of AI ? ?a cycle of activities that guide members of an organization, group, or community through four stages?. In the first stage of the 4-D model, the discovery stage, people discuss with one another the times when the organization worked at its best. Core values and best practices are extracted from the stories and used to build on the desired future. The dream stage tends to work best in a large group involving as much as the organization as possible. The data collected from the previous ?discovery? stage is used to create a vision of the future organization as if the peak moments discovered were the norm rather than the exception. In the design stage, a smaller team is then empowered to design ways to create the ideal organization with important elements such as structure, systems and the learning process being discussed. The delivery stage is the final phase used to create a strategy to implement the new changes in the immediate future.

There are a number of both strengths and weaknesses to the modern approach of AI. The main strength is the central idea of AI, which is the idea of focusing solely on positive aspects in an organization, therefore creating a very positive working environment for members of the organization. It examines what gives life to human systems when it is working at its greatest potential. By paying attention to the strengths and positive aspects in an organization, the happiness of members in the organizations is reflected. Members will find themselves much happier in their work, by having their confidence built and feeling more included and important in their working environment, from cutting out criticism completely. ?Instead of negation, criticism, and spiraling diagnosis, there is discovery, dream, and design?. Receiving positive feedback on the aspects that are working well is an enlightening change to what society usually drags us down to. Until we value ourselves and realize our true capabilities and potential, we can help those around us. Using the AI approach encourages people to be innovative and not afraid of trying new things or sharing new ideas in an organization. An AI approach encourages a far more creative environment as the feedback always focuses on positive aspects, allowing people to speak more confidently. AI proves to be a versatile strategy as it has a powerful effect on any human system - individual group, team, division, organization, community, country ? and can provide transformation of systems at all levels, not just one. AI has proved its success in any sized and aged organization, such as, international development organizations, corporations, universities and governments. ?The approach will ?fit? with wherever an organization finds itself in its own evolution?.