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

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the application of Thatchenkery's Appreciative Sharing of Knowledge (ASK) to a professional military college. Design/methodology/approach – ASK 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. Findings – The 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/implications – The case study demonstrates that the ASK methodology can be very effective in traditional professional and educational organizations with strong hierarchical cultures. Practical implications – The paper demonstrates the seven‐step ASK methodology in detail. Social implications – The 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/value – The 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.