Announcing the NOVEMBER 2008 AI Practitioner – Strength-Based Organizations: The Challenge for Appreciative Inquiry 2.0?

In 1987 David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva published Appreciative Inquiry in Organizational Life, the first time the term Appreciative Inquiry appeared in a professional publication. Now, the guest editors focus on the question, ‘What’s next?’: what is the new frontier of Appreciative Inquiry?

‘Our hope for this issue is that stories and cases of emergent strength-based organizations will invigorate and further refine the definitions and propositions presented here. As more and more practitioners join the conversation, we anticipate the threads coming together in unexpected and wonderful ways. We are confident they will challenge our thinking and offer exciting new answers to the question ‘what might be?’

There is a Foreword by David Cooperrider on 3-Circles of the Strengths Revolution: Elevation of Strengths, Alignment and Magnification of Strengths, and Refraction of Strengths Outward Into Society.

Articles are presented in two parts: Part One – Emerging Theory and Methodology for Creating and Sustaining Strength-Based Organizations. Key questions, results of new research and methods for tracking growth in SBOs are featured in this part of the issue. Part Two – Stories from the Strength-Based Organization Frontier. Nine stories show the paradigm shift from a deficit mindset to a strength-based framework. They highlight how this thinking is now mainstream for many organizations and an accepted way of bringing about growth or delivering high quality service.

The stories are first hand reports from New Zealand, Canada and the United States of organizations in manufacturing, healthcare, education, community service and the media as (or their journey towards) strength-based organizations.

The articles set out principles as well as specific examples of systems, structures and processes that build on the strengths of everyone in an organization.

Very many thanks to everyone who has contributed to an AIP issue this year and supported AIP by buying an article, issue or subscription. Also, thank you for letting your networks know about the wide range of articles available.

Regards,
Anne

Anne Radford editor@aipractitioner.com
Publisher, AI (Appreciative Inquiry) Practitioner
skype name: aipractitioner
tel +44 (0)20 7633 9630
www.aipractitioner.com

Anne Radford is also Consultant to business leaders and organisational consultantswww.aradford.co.uk