Appreciating dissonance: Using open appreciative inquiry as a tool to generate cultural change

Appreciative inquiry has become increasingly popular as a method for facilitating organisational or systemic change through focusing on the positive aspects and ‘life giving properties of a system’ as opposed to traditional ‘deficit-based’ approaches. However, there has been criticism that this process could invalidate negative experiences of organisations and/or systems. This is particularly problematic if an existing system is seen by its users as providing little value or if there is potential dissonance regarding system value among key stakeholders. Using two case studies of open appreciative inquiry by Plymouth City Council staff, this article outlines how the use of a liberally defined, human-learning-system informed, approach to appreciative inquiry has been used not to identify positive narratives so much as to surface potential dissonance and develop empathy and deeper insight conducive to systemic change. It concludes with a discussion of factors that might help organisations use appreciative inquiry where dissonance is likely to exist and a tentative labelling of this approach as “open appreciative enquiry” with an emphasis on the “e”.