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| Appreciative Inquiry for Change Management: Using AI to Facilitate Organizational Development | 
 enlarge | Authors: Sarah Lewis, Jonathan Passmore, Stefan Cantore
Publisher: Kogan Page Ltd
Category: Book
List Price: £29.99
Buy New: £23.66
You Save: £6.33 (21%)
New (24) from £23.66
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 147703
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 0749450711
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.4063
EAN: 9780749450717
ASIN: 0749450711
Publication Date: December 3, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Ships from U.S.A., to anywhere in the United Kingdom! Orders only take 3-5 days! We specialise in service to the U.K. and only ship airmail.
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| Customer Reviews:
A significant contribution to conversational practice May 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book adds significantly to the growing library of books devoted to the process and practice of Appreciative Inquiry. The sub-title of `Using AI to Facilitate Organizational Development' is a very clear summary of the book's content, and it will be particularly valuable to those who know the fundamentals of AI and wish to take their practice to a new level. It is not a `how-to' for AI itself, although it does include excellent chapters on its history and process - so it does not compete with the excellent titles by Watkins & Mohr or Whitney & Trosten-Bloom. Instead it focuses on exploring conversational approaches to organisation development, of which Appreciative Inquiry is at the forefront.
As a starting point, the book focuses on making the difference between conversational and mechanistic approaches, with comparisons between the two approaches and reflecting on the historical strands of theory and practice from which the view of organisation as an living human systems emerges. The history and practice of Ai is then covered in two summary chapters.
Part 2 explores the skills and practice guidance that support being a practitioner who is using conversational practice as a key tool in their interventions. Chapters look in depth at the power and form of questions; conversation and how to promote and use it in organisation development; working with story; and some practices other than Appreciative Inquiry that centre on conversational practice - such as World Cafe, Open Space, The Circle and Future Search. To end off this section, there is a discussion on being an appreciative conversational practitioner, and the challenges that arise from adopting this approach.
Part 3 is devoted to case studies, not just written by consultants who focus just on the highlights, but in collaboration with the case study line managers and thus identify and reflect the greater complexity and the ups and downs of the experience. They thus provide some meaningful insights into the real difficulties and real benefits of the approaches. The case studies do focus on Appreciative Inquiry interventions as one might expect, but also includes a World Cafe case study with the American Society for Quality.
Taken as a whole, this is one of the most significant contributions to the practice of conversational interventions to be published in recent years. The book is clearly written with relevant underpinning of theory and experience and successfully advocates for the expansion of appreciative conversational practice in organisation development. It will help facilitators and line managers to analyse situations more effectively, and also develop and improve their understanding and skills so that they - and the organisations with whom they interact - can benefit from adopting conversational and appreciative techniques in their practice and development.
a useful book and good read March 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a great book and would be very useful to people interested in conversational and strengths based approaches to change. Although the title focuses on Appreciative Inquiry in fact the book covers much more ground than this.
I particularly liked how the authors managed to give useful practical guidance as well as clearly explaining the theory underpinning the approaches. I found the first three chapters particularly helpful, and they've already influenced how I've explained my approach to new clients.
The book felt very familiar somehow, a bit like a new friend that you discover you have lots in common with, but also stretches you a bit. I have really enjoyed discovering it, returning many times to my favourite parts for ideas and inspiration. It's full of both.
Very practical and extremly useful guidebook! March 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As a beginner in this rich world of positive change management (or an 'AI child' as referred to in the book), I found the book to be an incredibly enriching and useful collection of best practices shared by those who have been there, done that and even bought the t-shirt!
The rich experience of the authors and their practical knowledge of applying AI to various situations is very evident. The book includes both theory and practical application of AI as well as excellent case studies which help connect the knowledge of AI with the 'real world'. The book is written in a very open way and the authors seem keen to share their 'secrets of the trade' with others. Thank you!
My only challenge with the book was that it is so packed with great ideas and useful tips that I will probably have to refer back to it as I can't possibly absorb all at once. Trying to take it in as much as possible may slow down the pace of reading. Either way, you will learn a lot!
Great book! January 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a great book, whether your interest is in Appreciative Inquiry, or in change management generally- the book has something to offer. The writing style is very energetic, and gives you the enthusiasm to think about how you can use this method within your own client organisations. I felt a lot of resonance of some of the case studies described with situations I am working through, and the processes described give a very 'real' feeling to how this method can be used.
After reading the book, I had more confidence in offering a different perspective on change to both fellow consultants, and those from my client organisation. Tapping into the collective wisdom contained within the book shows you a whole world of change that isn't built on the usual process, or machine based model.
I would recommend this book to practitioners from all disciplines working on or within change management projects, whether in their own organisations, or in client organisations.
Buy it - you won't be disappointed!
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