Page 80 - Appreciative Leadership

The Wisdom of Inquiry 53

In preparation for a divisionwide strategic planning process, we
asked the four business units at the Hunter Douglas Window Fash-

ions Division to each study a sister business unit. The task was to
conduct inquiry into the achievements and root causes of success of

their assigned organization. They were to come to the strategic plan-
ning meeting prepared to share what they had learned and present
their assigned business unit with an award. For three weeks before the
meeting, cross–business unit interviews were conducted, stories and
data were analyzed, and presentations were prepared. Th e meeting
began with each business unit’s hearing the presentation of another
describing the following:

• Their greatest achievements in the past three years

• How they have contributed to the division’s overall success
• What makes others proud to be part of their sister business unit
• What others have learned from them
• The greatest potential for the future of their business

Th ese success-oriented status reports were then followed by the
awards ceremony. Each business unit received its award along with
a creative description of why it was deserved. It was a fun way to fos-
ter interorganizational collaboration and cross-unit learning, while
generating the status reports that would serve as a foundation for the

organization’s strategic planning. The meeting’s beginning high led to
some of the most creative planning ever done in the division. New
product ideas were born along with new marketing strategies that
over time radically enhanced an already successful business.
Time aft er time we find that inquiry among improbable pairs of

departments, functions, or whole organizations builds relationships
and fosters collaboration. We have used Appreciative Inquiry to sup-
port merger integration, to envision, design, and lead a global inter-
faith organization, and to enhance union/management partnerships.
Whenever you sense a need to build bridges among people, groups, or
organizations, give inquiry a chance. Frame an appreciative question
that transcends the divide, and invite improbable pairs to interview