Practicing Organization Development: A Guide for Leading Change: A Third Edition

THE AI 4-D CYCLE

The application of AI can be visualized as a cycle through four phases of activity: Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny, as shown in Figure 7.2. Each of the Ds represents different activities and conversations with the common thread of ongoing dialogues that are generative. AI has been used in small groups and large groups for whole system change (Barrett & Fry, 2005). Chapters Sixteen and Seventeen present further information on large group interventions and whole system change.

The Discovery Phase—The Best of What Is

The task in the Discovery phase is to inquire, learn about, and appreciate the best of “what is.” The ability to collect strengths-based, life-giving, and future-oriented data is key to the Discovery phase. ...