Appreciative Inquiry: Building Wellbeing by Asking Better Questions

What if leadership focused less on fixing what is wrong and more on amplifying what is already working?

Traditional approaches to organisational challenges can leave people focused on deficits, problems and what needs to be fixed. Appreciative Inquiry offers a different possibility.

Developed by David Cooperrider and Ronald Fry, Appreciative Inquiry (AI) invites us to explore strengths, successes and moments of excellence — and use them as a foundation for growth.

𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔

We often measure burnout, stress and disengagement.
AI invites a different question
When do people feel most alive, connected and engaged at work?
By exploring these moments, leaders can uncover the conditions that enable people and organisations to flourish.

𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔.

Leadership is not always about having the answers.
Sometimes, it is about asking questions that open new possibilities.
Instead of asking:
“Why is morale so low?”
we might ask:
“When have we experienced our strongest sense of teamwork, and what made that possible?”
The question changes the conversation. And the conversation can change what people see as possible.

𝑨 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒎 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑.

Appreciative Inquiry does not require us to ignore problems. It invites us not to let problems define the future.
In an increasingly complex world, curiosity, appreciation and strengths-based dialogue can help create more resilient, human-centred organisations.
Perhaps the most powerful leadership question is not:
“What’s wrong?”
but:
“What gives life to our organisation when we are at our best?”
The future begins with the questions we ask.

At HAANA Business School for Human Flourishing we are committed to helping leaders and organisations discover the questions that can open the way to greater wellbeing, engagement and flourishing.

Liane Grassi
– Co-Founder at HAANA Business School for Human Flourishing –
– Entrepreneur & Programme Development –