Wp:discovery

In APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY the discovery phase is the heart of the inquiry process. It is based on peak experience story-telling. It is where insights into new knowledge, images, models, and theories are generated.

For example Avon Mexico chose as an affirmative topic a desire to be known as the company with the best gender relationships. The next step was to ask for gender-differentiated pairs to volunteer to tell their best experiences about working together. To the company's surprise, over 100 pairs volunteered. In paired interviews, the volunteers told their peak experience stories. From the information gathered from these stories, the participants were able to envision and articulate a most desirable future. Through an improvisational process, this desirable future was planned and implemented. Subsequently the company won an award as the best place in Mexico for women to work.