APPRECIATIVE INTERVIEWS

Appreciative interviews are acts of organizational intimacy. They give people forums for getting to know one another, being heard, drawing out another’s best, and discovering common ground. They actively engage people in positive, productive working relationships—and in working together for the greater good.

Key Components of Good Appreciative Interview Questions

In good appreciative interviews, we are not just interested in data— we are interested in experience and relationships. Perhaps the most discernible characteristic of our best appreciative interview questions is that they invite people to tell stories and participate at that very human level.

• Great questions help to forge personal connections between interviewers and interviewees. They have a conversational quality, they value what is, and they spark the appreciative imagination. They convey unconditional positive regard.

• They invite stories rather than abstract opinions or theories. They are introduced by such phrases as “Tell me about” and “Describe for me.”

• They are personal and affective, almost intimate. They touch people’s hearts and souls. They ask people to describe some- thing that they strongly identify with—to remember some- thing or someone that really mattered to them.

• They draw on people’s life and work experiences. They give people a chance to learn and create meaning from episodes and experiences that might otherwise have escaped their attention.

• They invoke a kind of mental scan. They force people to think about their powerfully positive experiences or insights, and then choose the best of the best.

• Sometimes they are ambiguous. They give people room to swim around, to answer in a variety of ways.

• They walk people through an inner journey. They ask people to interpret or deconstruct what worked or was meaningful about experiences and events they might have taken for granted.

• They are uplifting. They paint positive, attractive pictures. They inspire people to consider what’s possible.

• They give free rein to the imagination. They take people far into the future and help them imagine infinite positive possibilities.

• They suggest action. They help people consider the immediate next steps that would begin to move them toward their dreams.

• They have an emotional and logical flow to them. As the Interview Guide moves from one question to the next, people are inspired to find deeper and deeper meaning—to become increasingly enlivened and inspired.

Key Components of Good Appreciative Interviews

• Prepare for the interview. Be familiar with the questions, and have a good feel for the logic, the sequence, and the kind of summary information you will have to provide. Be familiar enough so you can avoid reading introductions and questions word for word.

• Prepare your partner. When you schedule your interview, spend some time telling your partner what it will be like. 


• Take time to build a connection before beginning the conversation Share a little informal time listening to who this person is, letting her know a little bit about who you are, or simply telling the person about the interview process. Remember that this is your opportunity to get to know a really interesting person—not just an “interview.”

• Send to the person the questions you will be asking. Once you know that the person has accepted to be interviewed. She might have an easier time answering complex questions if she can read them ahead of time.

• Give people time to take things at their own pace. Some people warm up immediately; others take more time. If your partner has difficulty answering a particular question, try saving it for last, when the person may feel more comfortable.

• Show your partner that you are really listening and that you really care. Keep your body. If you talk to the person make eye contact. Allow your facial expressions and verbal reinforcement to reflect your genuine interest. If you are curious and want some more information, by all means ask for it!

• Go back over what you have learned to confirm its accuracy. Consider having the interviewee read what you have written, with the option to modify or clarify anything to more fully express the essence of the responses.

• Close by summarizing what most inspired you. Because appreciative interviews are grounded in relationship, honor the relationship by sharing your experience. Tell people what you learned from them—how their stories have changed the way you see the Congregation and the world. Your partner has trusted you with her stories, hopes, and dreams. Honor that trust by returning it.

Source: Whitney, Diana and Trosten-Bloom, Amanda. The Power of Appreciative Inquiry   A Practical Guide to Positive Change (pages 150-159)