Grass Roots Tactics for Organisational Transformation

This is a grassroots change programme. It is low-risk and high-reward. While not a quick fix, it fosters engagement that leads to sustained performance improvements across the organisation. Once implemented, this approach can be repeated cyclically, forming a foundation for ongoing continuous improvement.

As with all change initiatives, it is easy to focus on the symptoms rather than the root causes. Common symptoms include poor performance and low productivity. However, these issues are often deeply rooted in a lack of employee engagement in operational improvement activities. To ensure the longevity of new initiatives, an alternative approach is necessary.

Engagement is both a process and an outcome. An engaged workforce feels genuinely invested in the organisation’s business goals and strategies. True engagement fosters a sense of shared ownership and accountability.

Employee engagement in continuous improvement is not a vague concept but a tangible one, measurable through sustained enhancements in working practices and asset performance. It is an ongoing cycle that must be continuously reinforced to maintain progress.

Here, we outline a method to engage staff in improving their performance using an Appreciative Inquiry approach.

An Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry

David Cooperrider, Suresh Srivastva and Frank Barrett developed the concept of Appreciative Inquiry at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland, Ohio.

This strength-based approach generates energy, innovation and proactivity. It assumes that whatever an organisation seeks to develop already exists in some form within its workforce. Rather than focusing on eliminating mistakes, businesses should instead identify, understand, and expand instances of success.

Performance Improvement through Staff Engagement

Appreciative Inquiry encourages staff to reflect on moments of peak performance and explore the factors that enabled those successes. Instead of analysing problems, the focus is on instances where expectations were exceeded. This approach avoids speculative ‘blue-sky thinking’ and remains grounded in what is realistically achievable based on past experiences.

Appreciative Inquiry can be conducted through structured conferences and summits or through informal, smaller-scale initiatives over weeks and months. Many organisations have found that a guerrilla-style approach—gathering best practice stories and conducting small group discussions—works well. The process follows an iterative cycle of Discovery, Dreaming, Design and Destiny focused on a substantive organisational topic.

The outcome is a set of actions that fundamentally transform the organisation’s way of working, creating an engaged workforce capable of sustaining cycles of continuous improvement and innovation. Many organisations continue this cycle periodically to refresh performance and ensure broad participation.

Key Considerations When Planning an Appreciative Inquiry Intervention

Choosing a Substantive Topic

The first step is to select a topic of strategic importance. It should align with key organisational objectives and describe what the business seeks to enhance. Often, the process of defining the topic is the first opportunity for broad engagement.

Balancing Informal and Formal Approaches

Informal approaches centre on working within the daily dynamics of the business. This may include collecting best practice narratives and trialling local improvement initiatives. These activities can transcend silos, connecting different functional areas through informal discussions.

Formal approaches, on the other hand, involve taking people out of their usual environments for summits or workshops. These are useful when there is sufficient momentum to drive large-scale cultural change.

Selecting Participants

A diverse group should be chosen to conduct interviews during the Discovery phase. It is important not to rely on the ‘usual suspects’. Instead, include individuals from different locations, levels of seniority, genders, ages, and tenure within the company. Those who are typically uninvolved in such initiatives should be encouraged to participate.

Some organisations hesitate to involve suppliers and customers, fearing transparency issues. However, the positive nature of Appreciative Inquiry interviews means that external stakeholders can contribute valuable perspectives.

Learning from External Best Practice

During the Discovery phase, some companies choose to include external visitors in the interview process. This expands the organisation’s knowledge base and fosters innovation. Unlike traditional best practice analyses that focus on copying existing models, this approach seeks to identify inspiring stories that can lead to sustainable improvements.

The Role of Leadership

Senior leaders and managers are often expected to either direct or facilitate change. In Appreciative Inquiry, however, they must adopt a third approach—actively participating in discussions without dominating or merely observing. Leaders should contribute their perspectives while also listening attentively.

Supporting Empowered Initiatives

During the Design and Destiny phases, a significant effort is required to implement resulting projects. While many will have a business case foundation, prioritisation is necessary, particularly given budget constraints.

The Appreciative Inquiry Framework

Participants use the following framework to explore their experiences of workplace excellence, envision the future, plan changes, and execute transformation initiatives:

1. Discovery – Reflecting on past successes and identifying enablers of peak performance.
2. Dreaming – Envisioning what is possible based on past achievements.
3. Designing – Translating ideas into tangible changes in structures, processes, and systems.
4. Destiny – Self-organised teams initiate change projects.

Phases in Detail

Discovery

Participants reflect on past experiences of excellence related to the chosen strategic topic. They conduct structured interviews to uncover the factors that contributed to success. These insights are shared across the organisation, creating a knowledge base of best practices.

Dreaming

Using the insights gained from Discovery, participants imagine an ideal future. This phase stretches the boundaries of what is possible while remaining grounded in real experiences. Leaders should be involved to ensure alignment with organisational goals and to prevent post-event invalidation of ideas.

Designing

This phase translates the ideas from Dreaming into actionable projects. Participants identify necessary policy changes, process adjustments, and infrastructure updates. Practical models such as McKinsey’s 7S framework or process mapping can be used to structure these changes.

Destiny

Self-organised teams take responsibility for implementing change projects. Some initiatives become formalised, while others result in shifts in behaviour and culture. The cycle continues as new themes emerge, leading to fresh Discovery processes and further improvement.

Next Steps

This document outlines how Appreciative Inquiry can enhance staff engagement and drive continuous improvement. As highlighted earlier, it is a cyclical process that engages the entire organisation while maintaining a grassroots approach.

Rather than being a one-off tool, Appreciative Inquiry can serve as an ongoing organisational philosophy, sustaining and building upon best practice. It has been successfully implemented in a range of well-known blue-chip companies and organisations.

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If you are considering an organisational change programme, I offer a 30-minute free consultation to establish your needs and a high-level journey plan.