Table 2.

Five classic or core principles of Appreciative Inquiry

PrincipleSummaryDetails
Constructionist principleWords create worldsReality, as we know it, is a subjective vs objective state and is socially created through language and conversations
Simultaneity principleInquiry creates changeThe moment we ask a question, we begin to create a change. “The questions we ask are fateful.”
Poetic principleWe can choose what we studyTeams and organizations, like open books, are endless sources of study and learning. What we choose to study makes a difference. It describes – even creates – the world as we know it
Anticipatory principleImages inspire actionHuman systems move in the direction of their images of the future. The more positive and hopeful the image of the future, the more positive the present-day action
Positive principlePositive questions lead to positive changeMomentum for [small or] large-scale change requires large amounts of positive affect and social bonding. This momentum is best generated through positive questions that amplify the positive core
Source: Table courtesy of Cooperrider and Whitney (1999) 

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