Harnessing the power of Ai in coaching (without any technology in sight)

Spoiler: this is not about Artificial Intelligence, but Appreciative Inquiry!

“What’s the best that can happen?”

One of my colleagues (Janey Bell) recently shared a memorable story of how a single question can positively impact an entire conversation. For the avoidance of doubt I have double checked that she is happy for me to relay this (and I want her to have full credit!).

She was working with a coachee who was having a tricky time. The coachee was under significant pressure, with limited resources and diminishing timeframes. The “tone” of the conversation felt heavy. The coachee was talking about a current project and shared an internal cycle of the problems emerging, the myriad of risks and things that could go wrong.

Janey described the immediate change in the coachees energy, tone and focus when she said: “I hear how tricky this feels at the moment, and I am wondering what’s the best that can happen?”

The coachee went on to unlock a series of approaches they had not considered from the position of pressure, stress and fear of failure. 

To me, this is a clear example of how using an Appreciative Inquiry approach in coaching can helpfully impact on the outcome of a session. 

Appreciative Inquiry – what it means

Appreciative Inquiry is sometimes shortened to Ai.  In today’s language AI can mean a number of things. Most commonly it is an acronym for Artificial Intelligence (technology), but can also represent Artificial Insemination (medical), Automatic Injection (manufacturing) or Airbourne Interception (military). 

A common thread for all the different types of AI is a desire to add new or different ways of approaching something with the intent of having beneficial outcomes. Scientific literature sometimes denotes Appreciative Inquiry as Ai to distinguish it from AI (in other forms).

The origin of Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry was developed in the 1980s and is first mentioned in David Cooperrider’s PhD thesis written in 1985 at Cape Western Reserve University. His supervisor at the time, Suresh Srivasta, was involved in sponsoring and co-authoring the initial research published in 1987, and it was originally developed as a way of making theory building more generative. 

Historically, many organisations have used a “find the problem and fix it” approach to grow, to evolve and to develop. This approach aims to pinpoint a problem or issue, analyse it, find a remedy and put in place a possible action plan to fix it. There were, and still are, times that approach is valuable. However, with this approach, the focus is frequently placed on what’s failing, broken or needs repair. 

Appreciative Inquiry was developed to encourage the exploration of already existing strengths and successes in order to use these to instigate positive change.

The five key principles behind Ai

There are 5 key principles of Ai. The intent is that these principles serve as a foundation and “way to approach change” (Hammond 2013). The principles were developed by Cooperrider in collaboration with Diana Whitney in 2001, as an evolution of his original work. 

Constructionist (worlds create worlds):

This principle highlights that words and language shape our reality. The language we use in conversations and narratives co-constructs our understanding and experiences, influencing the way we perceive and interact with our environment.

Simultaneity (inquiry creates change):

This principle suggests that the act of inquiry itself creates change. The questions we ask and the way we engage in dialogue have a direct impact on the system being studied, leading to new insights and potentially transformative outcomes. 

Poetic (we can choose what we examine):

This principle underscores that what we focus on generates growth. By choosing to study and appreciate successes and positive aspects of a system, we can reinforce those strengths and create more positive narratives

Anticipatory (images inspire outcomes)

This principle emphasizes that human systems are drawn towards their imagined futures. By focusing on positive images and aspirations for the future, we can inspire action and move towards desired outcomes. 

Positive (positive lens leads to positive change):

This principle highlights that positive emotions, like hope and inspiration, are crucial for creating positive change. By focusing on positive sentiments and building strong relationships, we can foster a collaborative environment that supports transformation.

These principles can be combined in any or all combinations to engender change. They can be used societally, nationally, organisationally or at an individual level.

When considering how to apply these principles for change, it’s worth remembering there are also critiques and limitations of Ai.  In 2012 Busche summarised a number of the major themes in The Routledge Companion to Organisational Change.  

Busche’s summary includes critiques that in Ai:

• a focus on positive stories can invalidate meaningful negative stories and experiences;
• what is positive for one individual could amount to a negative experience for another;
• some social constructionists argue that behind every positive image there lies a negative one; and
• that while Ai doesn’t focus on problems it will not receive support within an organisation unless it addresses problems of real concern to the organisation members.

While these critiques have merit they can also be seen as useful “watch outs” for us to be aware of before we make use of Ai in our practice.

How to apply Ai to coaching

As coaches we can use Ai with an intent to create an energetic shift in the conversation. The intent is that shift is one that creates a positive energy. With that could come more positivity, creativity, resilience or innovation. That energy and those attributes can then be used to “tackle the tricky”.

Using the second and third principles of Ai — simultaneity (“inquiry creates change”) and poetic (“we can choose what we examine”) — we can create a space where our coachees bring what is most important to them, and the simple inquiry can start to drive change. Building on that using the first principle, construction: (“words create worlds”) we can be conscious that the language we use will shape the conversation. 

With the fourth and fifth principles — anticipatory (“Images inspire outcomes”) and positive (“Positive lens leads to positive change”) — we can encourage our coachees to have a positive lens and language on an outcome that works. 

As a series of principles which we can use individually or collectively, we can overlay this approach to a part or the whole of a conversation. I have found that using Ai consciously and making a choice as to when it will be most useful to the coachee is more effective than using it all the time, or even at a pre-prescribed point in a conversation or programme.

There is therefore a skill in judging at what point the introduction of Ai could be of most use to a coachee.  To me that is an evolving part of my practice. At the moment it feels most helpful when the person in front of me feels weighed down by the topic, situation or relationship they are working with.

As always, there are risks. As per one of the critiques of organisational Ai, sometimes by jumping to the positive (or what is working) we can miss the opportunity for a coachee to feel truly heard when they are find their topic “tricky”.

How to use Ai for ourselves

Like so many helpful coaching tools that can be helpful for others, Ai can have a use for us in our own practice. As Pema Chodron (a Tibetan Buddhist teacher) said, “We work on ourselves in order to help others, but we also help others to work on ourselves.”

For me this has been a very helpful part of my development as a coach. At the end of a challenging coaching session, a difficult week or a tough project, I have always found it easy to jump to what I did wrong: “If only I had asked different questions” or “I should have been better”. My process has evolved so that now I acknowledge my frustrations and then remind myself that in order to “tackle the tricky” I will first spend some time considering what I was proud of, and what went well. I find this easier at some times than others – but therein lies the practice.

What’s next

So, now that you’ve got this far, an Appreciative Inquiry based question for you could be (with the joyful soft Scottish voice of Janey Bell ringing in your ears): “What is the best that can happen now that you have read this?”

References:

• Appreciative Inquiry: Change based on what goes well – Maartje Kletter – Warwick Interdisciplinary Research Centre for International Development
• Busche (2012).  Chapter 6 in; The Routledge Companion to Organizational change
• Hammond (2013). The thin book of appreciative inquiry.
• OrganizingEngagement.org
• Positive Psychology.com
• Janey Bell 😉