Implementing appreciative sharing of knowledge in the US Army Command and General Staff College

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the application of Thatchenkery's Appreciative Sharing of Knowledge (ASK) to a professional military college.Design/methodology/approachASK is a seven‐step research and intervention methodology grounded in the positive psychology discipline. ASK uncovers behaviors and processes already in existence that are highly valued by stakeholders, and then applies a disciplined organizational development structure to develop action plans for improvement that have strong stakeholder support, in order to effect transformation within the organization.FindingsThe case study reports on a set of high‐payoff priorities that were nominated by students and faculty, and supported in principle and with resources by college leadership to transform the direction of the college towards a new vision of collaborative education.Research limitations/implicationsThe case study demonstrates that the ASK methodology can be very effective in traditional professional and educational organizations with strong hierarchical cultures.Practical implicationsThe paper demonstrates the seven‐step ASK methodology in detail.Social implicationsThe paper describes how ASK can support initiatives to increase participation and commitment of stakeholders and improve the probability of successful implementation of transformational projects.Originality/valueThe paper provides unique insights into the application of ASK in a professional military educational setting among organizational level leaders; it shows how to incorporate organizational values and decision criteria effectively into transformation projects. The paper will be of interest to curriculum designers, education policy makers, teachers, and organization development specialists.