Appreciative Inquiry: Positive Core Mapping

Purpose

Positive Core Mapping is the foundational exercise of Appreciative Inquiry. It makes visible the constellation of strengths, capabilities, values, traditions, and resources that give an organization life. By mapping the positive core before designing change, teams ensure that transformation builds on what already works rather than tearing it down.

At a glance

How to run

1. Set up the map. Place a large blank sheet (or connected flip charts) on a wall. Write the organization's name in the center.
2. Individual reflection (5 min). Each person writes on sticky notes: What are this organization's greatest strengths? What do we do better than anyone? What assets do we underutilize?
3. Pair sharing (10 min). Pairs discuss their notes, adding new insights that emerge from conversation.
4. Cluster on the map (15 min). All sticky notes go on the wall map. The group silently reads and clusters them into natural themes (e.g., "deep customer relationships," "engineering excellence," "resilient culture").
5. Name the clusters (10 min). The group gives each cluster a short, evocative name.
6. Identify the golden threads (10 min). Discuss: Which strengths appear in multiple clusters? What is uniquely ours? What could we amplify? Draw connections between clusters.
7. Capture the positive core statement (10 min). Co-write a 2–3 sentence statement summarizing the organization's positive core.

Materials needed

• Large blank paper or connected flip charts for wall map
• Sticky notes (multiple colors)
• Markers
• Dot stickers for highlighting golden threads
• Camera to document the final map

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Participants listing what they wish for instead of what exists. Keep prompts firmly in the present and past — "What IS our strength," not "What should be."
• Dominant voices taking over clustering. Use silent sorting first, then discussion.
• Dismissing "soft" strengths. Culture, relationships, and trust are legitimate positive-core elements.
• Not using the map later. The positive core should be referenced in every subsequent change conversation.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Sticky notes allow anonymous contributions, reducing power dynamics.
• Offer verbal participation for those who find writing difficult.
• Use large, legible handwriting or printed labels for the clusters.
• Ensure wall map is at a height accessible to wheelchair users.

Variations

• Digital Positive Core: Use a virtual whiteboard (Miro, Mural) for remote teams.
• Strengths Interviews First: Precede mapping with paired appreciative interviews to generate richer data.
• Quantified Core: Add data points (customer satisfaction scores, retention rates) to ground the map in evidence.

When NOT to use this

• When the group is in acute crisis and needs immediate triage, not reflection.
• When used as a substitute for addressing genuine dysfunction — positive core mapping does not mean ignoring problems.

Source & further reading

• Cooperrider, D. L. & Whitney, D. (2005). *Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Revolution in Change*. Berrett-Koehler.
• Stavros, J. & Torres, C. (2005). *Dynamic Relationships: Unleashing the Power of Appreciative Inquiry in Daily Living*. Taos Institute.
• Whitney, D. & Trosten-Bloom, A. (2010). *The Power of Appreciative Inquiry*. Berrett-Koehler.