The Application of Appreciative Perspectives To the Coaching Enterprise
Authors: William Bergquist, Ph.D.
This article first appeared in the International Journal of Coaching in Organizations, 2007, 4, 25-35
Reprinted with permission of William Bergquist, IJCO and Professional Coaching Publications, Inc.
ABSTRACT: Appreciative Inquiry has arrived! This term and the underlying concepts and attitudes associated with this term are flourishing in the fields of organizational development and organizational consultation. The term Appreciative Inquiry has even been abbreviated. Organizational consultants who are in the know now simply call it AI. This seems to be a sign that this organizational change strategy is now fully admitted to the club. There is an important difference, however, between AI and many of the other concepts of leadership and management that have passed like a forgettable breeze across the organizational landscape. AI has real substance. It offers great promise as a vehicle for shifting attitudes and as a way of informing and transforming organizational processes. There is much to appreciate in the progress made to date in the field of appreciative inquiry. Yet, more must be done if the full potential of AI is to be realized. Bergquist identifies ways in which AI can be expanded and, in particular, ways in which AI can be incorporated in a masterful organizational coaching strategy.