ABSTRACT
The Oxford English dictionary's first definition of 'appreciate' is 'recognise the full worth of', and synonyms include 'value, respect, prize, cherish, treasure, admire'. Appreciation, that includes valuing, respecting and cherishing what people bring to their work, is integral to the collaborative approach to consultation authors describe in this chapter, which is informed by collaborative systemic therapy approaches like Anderson. In the late 1980s, David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva developed Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a strengths-based approach to positive change that has been used successfully in communities and organisations all around the world. Exploring the values and commitments that connect with what consultees appreciate about their work can give us, as consultants, a deeper appreciation of what sustains the consultees when their work is difficult. Through affirming and appreciating practices, the process of AI generates new possibilities for cooperation and creates opportunities for sharing commitments and dreams.
