What is Appreciative Review?
Appreciative review, or “A.R.,” is a cooperative search for the best in people, their organization and the world around them. A.R. differs from the traditional organizational evaluation system in that it does not focus on negatives or seek to extract specific improvements from individual employees. Instead, A.R. seeks to discover the forces that give life to employees and the organizations that they serve. Dr. Charles Martinetz, a cultural employee consultant with the Federal Aviation Administration, describes A.R., as appreciating and valuing the best of what is, envisioning what might be, then discussing what should be and creating what will be. How Does it Work? Prior to an employee evaluation, an A.R. evaluator develops a number of questions in a narrative style that encourages the employee to provide stories about the most positive aspects and qualities of the organization and to relate common themes from these narratives in order to generate a clear picture of the organization at
