AI — but not the one you’re thinking about
Appreciative Inquiry in change management: shifting attention from problems to possibilities
“"We can’t ignore problems. We just need to approach them froma different direction”
A strengths-based approach to change that asks:
“What’s already working — and how do we build more of that?”
Instead of diagnosing problems, fixing deficits, or asking “what’s broken?”, AI focuses on:
What gives life to an organisation
Peak experiences
Strengths, values, and successes
Shared hopes for the future
The core shift
Traditional change management often asks:
What’s wrong?
Who’s responsible?
How do we fix it?
Appreciative Inquiry asks:
What’s working?
When are we at our best?
What do we want more of?
This shift alone changes:
Energy
Engagement
Ownership
Psychological safety
The 4-D Cycle (simple explanation)
You can explain AI through its classic 4-D Cycle:
Discover – When have we been at our best?
Dream – What could be possible if we amplified that?
Design – What systems, structures, and behaviours support this future?
Destiny (or Deliver) – How do we sustain and evolve it?
Change is driven by questions, not directives.
Why Appreciative Inquiry works (especially now)
AI is particularly powerful because it:
Reduces resistance to change
Engages people emotionally, not just cognitively
Aligns with complexity (rather than control)
Treats people as co-creators, not problems to manage
In workplaces experiencing burnout, restructures, or constant transformation, AI feels human, not mechanistic.
