The Five Generic Core Processes for Guiding AI-Based, Change
In partnership with the core principles of Appreciative Inquiry are several popular processes for working with organizations and other human systems. We call these the other half of the DNA of AI and begin with what we call “the five generic core processes for applying AI as a framework for organizational change.” We use the term “generic processes” very intentionally—as a way of drawing attention to the essence of what AI is about while also emphasizing the flexibility of these processes. The five generic processes are:
1. Focus on the positive as a core value;
2. Inquire into stories of life-giving forces;
3. Locate themes in the stories and select topics from the themes for further inquiry;
4. Create shared images for a preferred future; and
5. Innovate ways to create that preferred future.
The limitations of this medium for communication (books and the written word) impose certain constraints on our description of the core processes. For example, for ease of comprehension, we have listed them above in a linear, sequential format. But in the world of client work the core processes don’t begin and end neatly. Instead, they overlap and repeat themselves without predictability, which is another reason that we emphasize so much the importance of being grounded in the theory, research, and principles of AI as you begin translating these core processes into practice. A somewhat more descriptive view of the five core AI processes is shown in Figure 3.2. Each process is part of a larger whole. Each process overlaps with other process. Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 describe some of the kinds of things that happen in each of these processes.
Figure 3.2. The Five Core Processes of AI
