An Appreciative Inquiry

In the past, I had the chance to play basketball for a local team that had 14 players. The group possessed a number of strengths. First of all, the squad had a collaborative element, which made a big difference in how the team's combined efforts to win games. The team's goal of winning games depended heavily on the players' ability to work together. Effective communication was the team's second strong point. Given that each player in the team held a specific role, it was critical to ensure that the team communicates in a manner that optimizes efficiency. We communicated by use of oral communication and nonverbal communication in the form of gestures and won our fair share of matches

The above narrative could work from the perspective of the appreciative inquiry methodology, due to its orientation towards team strengths rather than weaknesses. The principles on which this approach operates can influence the team to improve. The positive principle, for instance, opines that momentum for significant change requires considerable social bonding. The wholeness principle, on the other hand, suggests that wholeness can bring the best in individuals as well as groups, which has a direct significance on the team dynamics of our basketball team (Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010). The narrative principles, which states that people should create stories relating to their lives and live them, may have instigated team motivation by allowing the members to bod over their personal stories.

Question Two

Appraisal of team effectiveness took place in several ways. One of the most significant measurements of team efficiency and effectiveness was the number of games won against the total games. The higher the number of wins, the more efficient the team was considered. Secondly, evaluation during practice was common. For instance, the number of shots made against misses was a good evaluation tool. In addition, the coaches used the pace of play to determine whether the team was improving or not.

Conventional organization development approaches can play a significant role in identification of problems in the team and improving performance. This is because most of these orient toward managing human behavioral patterns. Traditional development methods could have been influential in directing the team towards its objectives and providing the motivation necessary to achieve success (Lewis, Passmore, & Cantore, 2016). The reason for this is that these methods, though traditional, assist in the establishment of a positive environment in which teams can work effectively and result in the increment of team member satisfaction as well as better integration and cohesion of the team.

Question Three

In my opinion, the appreciative inquiry to team development is recommendable in contrast with the traditional development approach. The traditional development approach normally takes on a negative outlook on team appraisal. Even though the method could have addressed the symptoms of the team’s ineffectiveness and inefficiencies as well as the root causes, the rate of progress in team development could have been very slow. Appreciative inquiry, on the other hand, could have led to better results because it could initiate self-changes by the team members themselves (Venter, 2010).

In consideration to employ a consultant, I would expect the consultant to use the appreciative inquiry method for the team. The approach could have been pivotal in encouraging the team members to work collectively towards developing and improving the team that they are part of. In addition, the consultant could have used the method to create a platform on which team member could learn from experiences, thereby increasing their will to make positive changes that increase team effectiveness and efficiency.











































References

Cooperrider, D. L., Whitney, D. K., & Stavros, J. M. (2008). Appreciative Inquiry Handbook: For Leaders of Change. Brunswick, OH: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. [EBSCO eBook Collection]

Lewis, S., Passmore, J., & Cantore, S. (2016). Chapter 4: Appreciative inquiry: How do you do it? In Appreciative inquiry for change management: Using AI to facilitate organizational development. London: Kogan Page. [EBSCO eBook Collection]

Venter, J. (2010). Appreciative inquiry. Accountancy SA, 42-44. [ProQuest]

Whitney, D. K., & Trosten-Bloom, A. (2010). Chapter 1: What is Appreciative Inquiry? The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. [EBSCO eBook Collection]