The Work of You

Seeing What's Working via Appreciative Inquiry

Jen Ostrich Season 1 Episode 21

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What if the key to leading change wasn’t fixing what’s broken, but amplifying what’s already working?

In this episode Jen explores how leaders can create a culture of growth by focusing on what’s already working — not just what’s broken. Using the Appreciative Inquiry framework, she walks through the 4D process: Discover, Dream, Design, and Destiny/Deliver, showing how each phase helps teams tap into their strengths, build collective vision, and sustain meaningful change. You’ll learn how shifting from problem-solving to possibility-thinking transforms engagement, connection, and trust — one appreciative question at a time.

Episode topics: 

  • David Cooperrider's work in Appreciative Inquiry
  • Appreciative Inquiry vs Problem Solving approach
  • Mayo Clinic example 
  • 4 D Cycle: Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver/Destiny 
  • How an appreciative approach builds a culture of growth 
  • Applying Appreciative Inquiry in feedback -- the Shift Positive Method 

Coaching Prompts: 

  1. When have I / we done this well before?
  2. What strengths made that possible?
  3. What could I / we design to repeat that success more often? 

Resources | Links: 

Appreciative Inquiry 

Book | Feedback Reimagined by Jen Ostrich + Peter Berridge 

Website | Shift Positive Method 

Instagram | The Work of You

Instagram | Grow Collective

Website | The Work of You

Website | Grow Collective