‘Company ABC’ is a prominent CGI art studio based in Southeast Asia. Established in 2006, it specialises in art outsourcing for video games and animation. With a team of over 500 creative talents, the studio has collaborated on major global projects, contributing to well-known titles in gaming and entertainment. Beyond client collaborations, the studio has also developed original content, including animation series. In recent years, ABC became part of a larger interactive media group.
To support the studio’s continued success, ABC engaged People Potential to run a series of training programmes. As part of this initiative, People Potential conducted Appreciative Inquiry (AI) sessions with leaders and managers to uncover the key factors behind the company’s remarkable growth. These sessions provided valuable insights into the strengths, strategies, and culture that have driven the organisation’s rapid development.
What Is Appreciative Inquiry?
Appreciative Inquiry is a strengths-based approach to organisational change that focuses on identifying and amplifying what works well in a system. Unlike traditional problem-solving models that highlight deficiencies, AI encourages teams to explore past successes, best practices, and future possibilities.
The methodology is built on five key steps:
- Definition – Identifying the focus of the inquiry, which sets the direction for positive organisational transformation.
- Discovery – Exploring and appreciating past successes by engaging employees in storytelling and sharing best practices.
- Dream – Envisioning the ideal future based on the strengths uncovered during the discovery phase.
- Design – Developing innovative strategies and processes to support the envisioned future and organisational goals.
- Destiny/Delivery – Implementing the proposed changes and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
By applying these steps, organisations can foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous growth. AI is particularly effective in environments that require high levels of adaptability and creativity, making it an ideal fit for Company ABC’s dynamic industry.
Participant Reactions: From Hesitation to Enthusiasm
When the AI sessions first began, many participants were hesitant. Used to structured discussions, they found the free-flowing nature of AI unfamiliar. However, as the natural leaders in the group grasped the objectives and facilitated engagement, others followed suit.
AI operates on the principle that focusing on positive experiences and organisational strengths encourages more open and engaged discussions. By shifting the focus from problems to opportunities, AI fosters an environment of trust and collaboration. Once the purpose and rhythm of the sessions were established, involvement significantly increased across all levels of seniority.
A strong indicator of the sessions’ impact was the willingness of participants to continue discussions even after the scheduled time, with some staying behind for nearly an hour to engage in cross-functional conversations. This behaviour underscores AI’s ability to unlock intrinsic motivation by allowing individuals to co-create a vision for the future.
A similar transformation was observed in a multinational manufacturing firm that adopted AI for leadership training. Employees, initially hesitant, gradually became more engaged when they saw how focusing on strengths led to productive conversations. The organisation reported an increase in proactive problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration, leading to a more agile work environment.
Mindset and Behavioural Shifts Through Stories
One of the most notable outcomes of the sessions was a shift in perspective among participants. Many began to develop a deeper understanding of the decisions and behaviours of their reporting heads, which led to improved collaboration and leadership effectiveness. In turn, these leaders gained a better understanding of productive behaviours that are expected to support their teams.
Appreciative Inquiry enables this transformation by encouraging individuals to share stories of past successes, which creates a stronger emotional connection to their work and colleagues. This positive reinforcement helps participants reframe their mindset from one of passive responsibility to active contribution. Additionally, participants started viewing their roles within a larger organisational context. They began to appreciate how their individual contributions impacted the broader company objectives, leading to a stronger sense of ownership and responsibility.
Such transformation is evident across different industries. An international financial services firm implemented AI to improve teamwork among different departments. Employees who previously worked in silos started recognising the value of interdepartmental cooperation. This shift in mindset led to increased knowledge sharing and efficiency, reinforcing the role of AI in fostering organisational cohesion.
Appreciative Inquiry Identifies Local Heroes
A significant outcome of the AI process at Company ABC was the identification of local heroes within the organisation—leaders whose stories of success and resilience provided valuable learning opportunities for others. Unlike external case studies, these were individuals whom employees could interact with directly, observe regularly, and learn from through daily operations. Starting from raised eyebrows and pauses prompted by surprise, the workshop observed various of these local heroes holding mini-Q&As to further add context to some queries by others, especially the junior staff.
The emergence of these local heroes played a crucial role in reinforcing the existing leadership culture at ABC. By highlighting authentic examples of effective leadership within the organisation, AI helped validate and strengthen the company’s leadership principles. It is worth noting, however, that this approach may be less effective for organisations with weak or negative leadership cultures, or those seeking a complete leadership transformation. In such contexts, additional interventions beyond AI might be necessary to establish new leadership paradigms.
Individual Growth: A Story of Transformation
Among the many participants who benefited from the AI sessions, a project lead’s journey stood out. Initially, he approached his role with a narrow focus, limiting his interactions to his immediate responsibilities. However, after the AI programme, a noticeable shift occurred. With each subsequent workshop, he demonstrated deeper reflections on his role and expanded his engagement with direct reports and other departments.
This transformation aligns with AI’s core principle of inquiry-based learning, where individuals explore their best practices and potential. AI encourages individuals to engage in reflective dialogue, which helps them recognise how they can contribute to a larger vision. By shifting from a problem-solving approach to an opportunity-seeking mindset, this project lead exemplified how AI can inspire professionals to develop a broader and more strategic outlook.
The ripple of this impact extends to larger organisations as well. In a global retail chain, managers experienced a similar transformation. Initially focused on daily operational tasks, the chain shifted its gaze at improving employee engagement and customer satisfaction by enabling managers to look into strategic improvements. Over time, proactive leadership resulted in improved performance across stores.
Uncovering Strengths and Opportunities
One key revelation for participants was the realisation that they shared common strengths and challenges with senior team members. Through interactions with experienced leaders, they gained insights into past mistakes and valuable guidance on how to navigate similar challenges in their own careers.
AI’s mechanism of positive storytelling played a significant role in these discoveries. By identifying patterns in success stories, employees recognised untapped potential within themselves and their teams. Another crucial theme was the empowerment to take initiative. Many participants previously assumed that organisational gaps—whether related to processes, systems, people, or the work environment—were issues for senior management to address. The AI sessions helped them recognise their own agency in championing solutions and driving improvements within their respective teams.
This kind of transformation has been observed in other organisations that have embraced Appreciative Inquiry.
Leveraging AI for Leadership Development
The insights gained through the Appreciative Inquiry process provided Company ABC with valuable resources for future leadership development. The stories of local heroes and successful practices uncovered during the sessions offered authentic, contextually relevant material that could be incorporated into leadership training programmes.
By integrating these narratives into development initiatives, ABC could ensure that training remained grounded in the organisation’s actual experiences rather than abstract concepts. For emerging leaders, these stories served as practical illustrations of leadership principles applied within their specific organisational context.
Furthermore, when these identified local heroes participated in the delivery of leadership training, the impact became more profound. Their presence created an environment where theoretical concepts could be directly connected to lived experiences, enhancing the credibility and applicability of the training content. This approach not only honoured the contributions of these exemplary leaders but also created a continuous cycle of knowledge transfer and cultural reinforcement within the organisation.
Conclusion
Company ABC’s experience with Appreciative Inquiry underscores the value of leveraging strengths-based methodologies to drive organisational growth. The AI sessions facilitated by People Potential not only helped participants recognise their own capabilities but also encouraged them to take an active role in shaping the company’s future.
Through enhanced leadership understanding, deeper engagement, and a renewed sense of ownership, ABC’s workforce is now better equipped to navigate challenges, innovate, and sustain its reputation as a leader in the CGI art industry. The success of this initiative highlights the potential of Appreciative Inquiry in uncovering hidden strengths and fostering a thriving organisational culture.
By Johan Fariz and Lee Choong Yin
Johan was the former Vice-President of Operations at the art studio referred to in the article while Choong Yin is the Head of Leadership & Management Development in People Potential.