Appreciative Inquiry: The 5D Format

Summary

The 5D model of Appreciative Inquiry is a widely used and user-friendly approach for organizational development. It focuses on identifying and enhancing the 'positive core' of a team or organization, which includes knowledge, successes, and strengths. The process consists of five stages: Definition, Discovery, Dream, Design, and Delivery (or Destiny), each designed to build on the positive aspects and foster creative thinking. This model not only aims to inspire and motivate but also encourages continuous review and adaptation, making it a flexible roadmap for positive change.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The 5D format is a widely used structure for appreciative inquiry, aiming to identify and build on the positive core of an organization or team.
• 🔍 The positive core encompasses knowledge, best practices, successes, strengths, and aspects of history, present, and future that instill pride and motivation.
• 💡 The 5D process enhances understanding and trust among participants by focusing on positivity and fostering creative thinking.
• 📋 The process consists of five stages: Definition, Discovery, Dream, Design, and Delivery (or Destiny), each priming participants for the next.
• 🎯 During the Definition stage, an affirmative topic is set, which guides the appreciative inquiry and initial planning.
• 🔎 The Discovery stage involves exploring people's best experiences related to the topic and identifying values and factors behind exceptional performance.
• 🌈 In the Dream stage, participants create a vision of the ideal future without constraints, aiming for a metaphorical and inspiring image.
• 🛠️ The Design stage is about generating options to realize the dream, potentially redesigning structures and processes within the organization.
• 🚀 The Delivery stage commits to action from the Design stage, implementing changes and learning from the experience of execution.
• 🔄 The 5D cycle is not linear; it's a roadmap that can be revisited at any point to refine topics, discover more of what's working, or adjust the dream vision.

Q & A

What is the 5D format in appreciative inquiry?

The 5D format is a widely used structure for appreciative inquiry processes, which aims to discover, build on, and refine the positive core of an organization or team. It consists of five stages: Definition, Discovery, Dream, Design, and Delivery (or Destiny).

What is the overall aim of the 5D cycle?

The overall aim of the 5D cycle is to identify and strengthen the positive aspects within an organization or team, such as knowledge, best practices, successes, and strengths. It also aims to foster a sense of pride and motivation among members, as well as to enhance understanding and trust between them.

How does the 5D process help in building trust and creative thinking?

The 5D process is designed to keep participants focused on the positive aspects, which liberates their creative thinking. Each stage psychologically primes participants to be open and ready for the next, thus fostering an environment of trust and collaboration.

What is the purpose of the Definition stage in the 5D cycle?

The Definition stage sets the direction for the appreciative inquiry by identifying an affirmative topic or area to be inquired into. It involves planning the process, forming a steering group, and defining questions for the initial appreciative interviews.

What are some key elements discovered in the Discovery stage?

In the Discovery stage, participants share their best experiences related to the topic, discussing times when they felt engaged, achieved great results, and felt a sense of pride. The stage aims to uncover values and factors that contributed to these exceptional performances.

How does the Dream stage encourage creative thinking?

The Dream stage encourages creative thinking by asking participants to envision the organization's ideal future without constraints of feasibility or existing problems. It promotes metaphorical thinking and artistic representation to define a positive image of the future.

What is the focus of the Design stage?

The Design stage involves developing options and strategies to bring the envisioned dream or parts of it into reality. It includes redesigning structures, processes, and information flows within the organization to support the vision and generating ideas for actions that move towards the dream.

What actions are taken in the Delivery or Destiny stage?

In the Delivery or Destiny stage, selected actions from the Design stage are committed to, with the goal of realizing the dream. This could involve formal action planning or immediate small changes, and it focuses on implementing and learning from the experience of these changes.

How is the 5D cycle used for reviewing progress?

The 5D cycle can be used to review progress by revisiting the stages of Discovery, Dream, Design, and Delivery to identify what worked and what didn't, update the dream with new learnings, design solutions for emerging problems, and deliver improvements.

What is the significance of the appreciative interview format?

The appreciative interview format is a key method used in the Discovery stage to uncover valuable information about people's best experiences and the factors that contributed to their success. It helps to identify the positive core elements of the organization.

Why might an organization return to an earlier stage in the 5D cycle?

An organization might return to an earlier stage in the 5D cycle to refine the affirmative topic based on new information, or to identify areas where the dream vision is already partially happening. This non-linear approach allows for continuous improvement and adaptation.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to the 5D Appreciative Inquiry Process

The first paragraph introduces the 5D format as the most widely used and user-friendly approach for structuring an appreciative inquiry process. The 5D cycle aims to discover, build on, and refine the positive core of an organization or team, which includes its knowledge, best practices, successes, strengths, and aspects of its history, present, and future that inspire pride and motivation. The process strengthens understanding and trust among people and is designed to keep participants focused on the positive, liberating their creative thinking. The 5D format can be applied to various scales of inquiry, from organization-wide projects to brief coaching sessions, and includes stages of definition, discovery, dream, design, and delivery/destiny. The paragraph also mentions the 4D version and other models like the MOD Jacobs Guard 4 Eyes model, but emphasizes the 5D/4D model as the most commonly used.

05:03

🛠️ The 5D Stages: Definition, Discovery, Dream, Design, Delivery

The second paragraph delves into each stage of the 5D process. The definition stage involves setting an affirmative topic for inquiry and planning the process. The discovery stage focuses on uncovering people's best experiences related to the topic through appreciative interviews. The dream stage involves co-creating a vision of the organization's ideal future without limitations, aiming for a high-level, metaphorical vision. The design stage is about developing options to bring the dream vision into reality, which may include redesigning structures, processes, and information flows. The delivery or destiny stage involves committing to and implementing selected actions to make the dream happen and learning from the experience. The paragraph also highlights the iterative nature of the 5D cycle, which can be used to review progress, refine the affirmative topic, and update the dream vision based on new learnings.

Keywords

💡Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry is a positive organizational development process that focuses on identifying and enhancing the positive core of an organization or team. It involves discovering, building on, and refining the best aspects, such as knowledge, best practices, successes, and strengths, that make people proud and motivated. The process aims to strengthen understanding and trust among team members and liberate creative thinking, as illustrated in the 5D format discussed in the video script.

💡5D Cycle

The 5D Cycle is a structured format for Appreciative Inquiry, consisting of five stages: Definition, Discovery, Dream, Design, and Delivery (or Destiny). Each stage is designed to psychologically prime participants for the next, focusing on positive aspects and fostering creative thinking. The cycle is not linear and can be revisited at any point to refine the process and implement changes based on new insights.

💡Positive Core

The Positive Core refers to the central strengths, successes, and best practices of an organization or team. It encompasses the knowledge, achievements, and aspects of history, present experience, and imagined future that instill pride and motivation among members. The goal of Appreciative Inquiry is to identify and build upon this Positive Core to enhance organizational performance and foster a sense of belonging and pride.

💡Definition Stage

The Definition Stage is the first step in the 5D Cycle, where an affirmative topic for the Appreciative Inquiry is identified. This stage sets the direction for the inquiry by determining the area to be explored and what outcomes are desired. It involves planning the process, forming a steering group, and preparing questions for initial appreciative interviews.

💡Discovery Stage

The Discovery Stage is the second stage of the 5D Cycle, where inquiries are made into people's best experiences related to the defined topic. It involves identifying times when individuals felt engaged, achieved great results, and骄傲. The stage aims to uncover values and factors that motivated these exceptional performances and made them possible.

💡Dream Stage

The Dream Stage is the third part of the 5D Cycle, where participants co-create a vision of the organization's ideal future. This stage encourages thinking without limitations of feasibility or practicality, focusing on a high-level, metaphorical vision that inspires growth and opens new possibilities for action. It aims to define a positive image of the future that motivates the organization to move towards it.

💡Design Stage

The Design Stage is the fourth part of the 5D Cycle, where options for realizing the dream vision are developed. This stage involves redesigning structures, processes, and information flows within the organization to support the envisioned future. It is about generating ideas for actions that bring the organization closer to the dream, without committing to specific ideas, allowing for wild and creative thinking.

💡Delivery or Destiny Stage

The Delivery or Destiny Stage is the fifth and final stage of the 5D Cycle, where commitments are made to take actions selected during the Design Stage to realize the dream. This stage involves formal action planning or immediate small changes, with a focus on implementing the chosen changes and learning from the experience of implementation.

💡Participation

Participation in the context of the 5D Cycle refers to the involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including organization members and external representatives, in the process of Appreciative Inquiry. It is crucial for fostering a sense of ownership, collective creativity, and shared vision towards the organization's positive future.

💡Creative Thinking

Creative Thinking is the ability to generate novel and innovative ideas, solutions, and approaches. In the 5D Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry, it is encouraged throughout the process, particularly in the Dream and Design stages, to break free from traditional patterns of thinking and to explore new possibilities for the organization's future.

💡Organizational Development

Organizational Development refers to the process of improving an organization's ability to achieve its goals and enhance its overall performance and health. It often involves planned interventions, like Appreciative Inquiry, to build on the organization's strengths and address areas for improvement.

Highlights

The 5D format is the most widely used structure for appreciative inquiry processes.

The 5D cycle aims to discover, build on, and refine the positive core of an organization or team.

The positive core encompasses knowledge, best practices, successes, strengths, and aspects that make people proud and motivated.

The 5D process strengthens understanding and trust between people.

The 5D format is user-friendly and can be completed in as little as half a day.

The structure is designed to keep participants focused on the positive and liberate their creative thinking.

The 5D model can be applied to organization-wide projects or brief one-to-one coaching sessions.

The 4D version of the model omits the definition stage.

The Mod Jacobs Guard 4 Eyes model is another example of an appreciative inquiry model.

In the definition stage, an affirmative topic for the appreciative inquiry is determined.

The discovery stage involves inquiring into people's best experiences related to the topic.

The dream stage is about co-creating a vision of the organization's ideal future without limitations.

The design stage develops options for bringing the dream vision into reality.

The delivery or destiny stage commits to taking actions to make the dream happen.

The 5D cycle can be used to review progress by discovering what worked and what didn't, and updating the dream with new learnings.

The 5D cycle is not linear and serves as a roadmap or guide, allowing for revisiting and refining previous stages.

Transcripts

[Music]

let's take a look at the most widely

used format for structuring an

appreciative inquiry process

the 5d format it's not the only format

available

but it is the default one for

appreciative inquiry

and it certainly is user friendly as any

other format

so it's the one i normally use

the overall aim of the 5d cycle like any

appreciative inquiry process

is to discover build on and refine the

positive core

of the organization or team by the

positive core we mean

its knowledge best practices successes

and strengths

as well as the aspects of its history

present experience

and imagined future which make people

proud to feel part of it

and motivated to work there

at the same time going through the 5d

process

strengthens understanding and trust

between people

a 5d process bringing together everyone

involved in the change in one room

can be completed in as little as half a

day

the format is carefully designed to keep

participants focused on the positive

and to liberate their creative thinking

each stage in the process

psychologically primes participants to

be

open to and ready for the next stage

the structure is the same whether the

inquiry is an organization-wide project

that takes years or a brief

one-to-one coaching session the aim is

always to

discover strengthen and build on the

best of the organization

the elements that give life to it that

people are proud of that motivate them

and which give rise to exceptional

performance

these elements are often referred to as

the positive core

of the organization you may also

encounter a 4d version of the model

which leaves out the definition stage

in some books on appreciative inquiry

you'll see the delivery stage referred

to

as the destiny stage although i believe

in most organizational settings people

will find it easier to relate to

delivery as a term relevant to business

there are other models for example the

mod jacobs guard

4 eyes model but the 5d or 4d model

is the most widely used

the definition stage first we define

an affirmative topic or topics for the

appreciative inquiry

this determines the area to be inquired

into

and sets a direction for what is to be

achieved

how do we achieve the desired outcome

is a practical format for stating the

affirmative topic

this would also be the stage where you

plan your appreciative inquiry process

get your steering group together define

the questions for the first appreciative

interviews

and so on the discovery stage

in this stage we inquire into people's

best experiences in relation to the

topic

times when people felt alive engaged and

worthwhile

and when they produce great results and

achievements to be proud of

we can also ask what's important to

people

about these experiences to discover the

values that motivate them

and the factors that made these examples

of exceptional performance possible

the appreciative interview format is the

method most often used to uncover

this information the dream

stage next the people involved in the

inquiry

ideally in a large scale project

everyone in the organization

plus representatives of outside

stakeholders

co-create a vision of the organization's

ideal future

without limiting themselves at this

stage with concerns about whether it's

possible or how to get there

the aim is to define a positive image of

the future

so that the organization is inspired to

grow towards it

and to open new possibilities for action

that are not constrained by assumptions

that may have led to existing problems

we're going for a high level vision of

the desired future

metaphorical rather than prematurely

going into concrete details

so that it's easier for participants to

agree

the key question is not what will the

future be

but what will it be like

to encourage creative and metaphorical

thinking at this stage

so we can break free of the previous

patterns of thinking that led to current

problems

we ask participants to create some kind

of artistic representation

of the desired future the design

stage we can now develop options for

bringing the dream vision or at least

parts of it

into reality this may involve

redesigning structures processes

and information flows within the

organization

so that it becomes capable of supporting

the vision

at a team or individual level it's also

about generating ideas for possible

actions that can take us closer to the

dream

we're not committing to any of the ideas

at this stage

so we can be as wild and creative as we

want

the delivery or destiny stage

we commit to taking the actions we've

selected from the design stage

in order to make the dream happen

depending on the scale of the project

this could involve

formal action planning or just making

some small changes immediately

this stage is also about actually

implementing the chosen changes

and learning from the experience of

implementation

reviewing previous performance we can

also use the

discover dream design deliver parts of

the 5d cycle

to review progress we can discover

what worked and what didn't update our

dream with our new learnings

design ways of dealing with whatever

problems showed up

and deliver those improvements

finally the 5d cycle isn't a linear

process where you can

only go one way it's more like a road

map or guide

that shows you where you are at any

point in the process

for example once you've discovered the

best of what's currently working

you might want to go back to definition

to refine your affirmative topic

in the light of new information or

when you've created your dream vision of

the desired future

you could go back to discover where

parts of that dream

are already happening even if they're

only happening

partially or occasionally

you