Appreciative Inquiry® 1 Day Interactive Training in Chicago, IL

Duration: 8 hours (including breaks) | Format: In-person / In-house / Online / Hybrid Certification: Course Completion Certification | Credits: 8 CEUs/CPDs/PDUs

Course Overview:

Appreciative Inquiry is a form of action research that focuses on collecting and exploring people’s stories of best practices. These insights are then used as a foundation to drive meaningful and positive organizational change.

This Appreciative Inquiry training course equips participants with a clear understanding of the AI process and practical techniques to apply it effectively. It is designed to support those leading change initiatives by fostering constructive conversations, encouraging collaboration, and creating a positive approach to continuous improvement within their organization.

Why Appreciative Inquiry Matters in Today’s Workplace?

Appreciative Inquiry is important in today’s world because organizations are constantly dealing with change, pressure, and the challenge of keeping people engaged. Traditional approaches often focus on problems and gaps, which can lead to resistance, low morale, and slow progress. In contrast, Appreciative Inquiry shifts the focus to what is already working well. By identifying strengths and past successes, it builds confidence, encourages participation, and creates a more positive and open environment for change.

This approach is especially valuable because it drives sustainable results. Instead of repeatedly fixing issues, organizations can replicate and scale proven best practices. It also strengthens communication, trust, and collaboration within teams, as people feel heard and valued. Ultimately, Appreciative Inquiry helps leaders and teams move forward with clarity and motivation, making change more effective and meaningful.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• Solve problems within an organisation in a positive and forward-thinking way.
• Be more curious and excited about the challenges faced within the business.
• Ask unconditional, positive questions to strengthen the organisations capacity to increase potential.
• Approach change in an affirmative mindset.
• Use questions to create movement and change within the company.
• Simply apply core communication skills, for overall organisational success.

Ultimately, this training enhances managers’ approach to communication and change within the organization, enabling them to address challenges more effectively and contribute meaningfully to achieving business goals.

Prerequisites:

None

Technical Requirements:

For In-house training:

• Projector, Screen or TV
• HDMI cable
• Notebook, Pen
• Internet
• Laptop or tablet

Note: The training schedule includes two 15-minute coffee breaks and one 30-minute lunch break

Interested in strengthening your team’s effectiveness with this training? Let’s explore how we can support you.

In today’s fast-changing work environment, organizations don’t just need problem-solvers—they need teams that can think positively, collaborate effectively, and drive meaningful change. Appreciative Inquiry shifts the focus from what’s wrong to what’s working, enabling individuals to build on strengths, unlock potential, and create a more engaged and solution-oriented workplace. This approach transforms the way people communicate, make decisions, and respond to challenges.

Far from being just a conceptual model, Appreciative Inquiry is a practical and results-driven approach to organizational development. Through structured techniques such as powerful questioning, AI interviews, and the 4D Model (Discovery, Dream, Design, Destiny), participants gain hands-on experience in leading constructive conversations and shaping positive change initiatives.

Investing in this training brings tangible benefits across your organization:

• Leaders and managers foster a more positive, collaborative, and high-performing culture
• Teams communicate more effectively, focusing on strengths rather than limitations
• Employees become more engaged, motivated, and open to change
• Organizations are able to identify and scale best practices instead of repeatedly f ixing issues
• Change initiatives become more inclusive, sustainable, and impactful

Ultimately, this training doesn’t just improve skills—it transforms mindsets. It empowers your people to lead with confidence, communicate with purpose, and contribute to a stronger, more resilient organization.

Enquire now at [email protected] for scheduling details and group discounts.

Let’s build confident, capable leaders who drive team performance and organizational success.

Whether you are a small group of 3 or large cohort of 100, Wisdom Hub delivers practical frameworks, real-world application, and measurable impact-bringing wisdom beyond knowledge to every learning experience.

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Info: A getting to know you activity that helps determine the participants current
understanding of Appreciative Inquiry.

Info: A review of the subject with an activity that helps embed understanding and a
case study that explains the process in action.

Info: Establishing how AI can aid and improve the way an organisation works and
how people communicate within it. Exploring how specific organisational
issues can be viewed in a positive way.

Info: Understanding how questions can be used to identify positive organisational
improvements and refocus our approach to business issues.

Info: A set process for performing AI interviews and framing consultations to get the
best out of those involved. A chance to practice the given approach and hone
personal skills.

Info: An overview of the AI 4D Model (Discovery, Dream, Design, Destiny) and how it
is applied.

Info: Demonstrating how selecting the topic is the beginning of the 4D model process.
Choosing the participants own topic to work on throughout the training.

Info: Showing how positive discussions are kick-started at this stage and taking a
chance to look at, ‘the best there is and what has been’.

Info: Thinking big and beyond what they have in the past’. Creating an amazing and
positive vision for the future.

Info: Laying the foundation with a design of the vision, principles, and set of
propositions that describe the ideal end state. Defining the desired state by
creating a hierarchy and blueprint for success.

Info: Defining clear actions that will help the organisation and individuals achieve what
they have set out to. The output is the self-reinforcing nature of using positive
and affirmative inquiry to improve the business.

Info: Review of learning and knowledge check.

Info: Exploring Dr. Kotter’s 8 step change process and how it can support the AI
approach.

Info: Understanding feelings and attitudes to change, using this interesting and
memorable model. Using an activity to help participants consider their own
‘change position’ and what this might mean for them.

Info: A simple set of skills to help overcome the challenges faced by people trying to
implement change. Applying these strategies to the 4D Model and Appreciative
Inquiry.

Info: ● A chance to review learning in an engaging way. ● Developing actions and key points to take away.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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