Unlocking Team Potential with Appreciative Inquiry: A Guide for Leaders
In my practice as a coach and trainer, I often observe that team leaders face multiple changes simultaneously. Whether it’s restructuring, implementing new technologies, or driving innovation, the challenges are rarely singular. Leaders who try to tackle these on their own not only risk becoming a bottleneck in the change, but also could lose overview and energy from juggling too many mental “tabs.”
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) offers a structured approach to leadership, transforming leaders from being the sole designers and deliverers of processes into facilitators who empower their teams. Here’s how it works.
What is Appreciative Inquiry?
Appreciative Inquiry is a collaborative and strengths-based approach to organizational development. Unlike traditional problem-solving methods that focus on identifying and fixing weaknesses, AI emphasizes recognizing and building on existing strengths. It encourages teams to explore what is working well, envision what could be, design pathways to achieve those visions, and implement plans that leverage the team’s strengths.
David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva introduced AI in the 1980s, and since then, it has been used worldwide to foster positive change in organizations. The Appreciative Inquiry Commons and the Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry offer extensive resources for those interested in this transformative approach.
The Appreciative Inquiry Process: 5D Cycle
The Appreciative Inquiry process is structured around the 5D Cycle: Define, Discover, Dream, Design, and Destiny (or Deliver). Each phase builds on the previous one, creating a continuous cycle of positive development and improvement.
- Define
The Define phase involves clarifying the focus of the inquiry. This is where leaders and teams decide what to study and improve. It sets the stage for the entire AI process. In this phase, questions are framed in a positive context, aiming to explore what the team wants more of, rather than what needs to be fixed. Rather than: “We want less turnover”, choose “We want to be an employee magnet” as a goal. - Discover
During the Discover phase, teams engage in conversations to uncover and appreciate the best of what is with regard to the goal. This involves sharing stories and experiences that highlight the organization’s strengths, successes, and peak moments. These stories provide a foundation of positive energy and collective pride that can be built upon. - Dream
The Dream phase is about envisioning what could be. Teams imagine a future where their and the organisation’s strengths are leveraged to their fullest potential. This phase encourages creative thinking, helping teams to break free from limiting assumptions and to visualize bold, inspiring possibilities. - Design
In the Design phase, the team collaboratively develops actionable plans to achieve the image they created in the Dream phase. This involves identifying key strategies, processes, and structures that will support the envisioned future. It also requites the team to choose what to stop or start doing. The design is co-created, ensuring that everyone has a stake in the outcome and is committed to making it happen. - Destiny (or Deliver)
The Destiny phase focuses on implementing the designed plans and sustaining momentum for ongoing improvement. It involves setting up systems for monitoring progress, celebrating achievements, and making necessary adjustments. This phase ensures that the positive changes are embedded into the organizational culture and continue to evolve.
Case Study: Transforming a Healthcare Team To Work ‘Shoulder To Shoulder’
One of my clients, a healthcare organization, faced significant challenges with employee collaboration and low motivation. The secretary team was overwhelmed with managing day-to-day operations and the managers where juggling implementing multiple improvement projects. They decided to apply Appreciative Inquiry to address these issues, sponsored by the organisation’s management board.
In the Define phase, representatives of both teams and HR chose to focus on enhancing “working shoulder to shoulder” as the focus topic. During the Discover phase, they conducted interviews to identify moments when staff felt most energized and effective, truly working “shoulder to shoulder”, across hierarchy levels. These stories revealed a common theme: employees felt most engaged when they had autonomy and were appreciated as a person.
In the Dream phase, the teams envisioned a future where employees had more control over their schedules and could work in a more appreciative way. Highlight was a visit to a healthcare facility that was known for its positive culture and employee motivation. The team went there with ‘appreciative eyes’ and observed what worked. As a thank-you for making time for us that day, the organisation received the feedback and observations we had collected.
Inspired by all the data gathered in the interviews and the field trip, the Design phase involved creating flexible work schedules and a campaign to draw attention to and practice giving compliments and recognition to each other rather than critical feedback only.
Finally, in the Destiny phase, the guiding questions was: How can we implement this desired future step-by-step, without being another burden for us? Sponsors and Mood Managers met in regular intervals to evaluate the progress.
By focusing on strengths and involving employees in the change process, the organization achieved a ‘lighter’ work culture where people reported they could ‘breathe’ again, with more appreciation for each other’s contribution and an overall feelings of working “shoulder to shoulder”.
This was one example of a larger change initiative with an external facilitator, but the principles and structure of AI can be used very well for change within the team or within a leadership role.

Become a Facilitator of Positive Change
As a team leader, adopting the role of a process facilitator rather than the one of problem-solver can be liberating. Appreciative Inquiry provides a structured, yet flexible framework that empowers you to guide your team through positive change.
If you’re interested in learning more about how Appreciative Inquiry can benefit your team or organization and make leading more effective, visit my website at www.coreconnect.today for resources and services and talk to me.
Let’s unlock the full potential of your team!