Many systems and institutions of post-secondary education narrowly focus on simply trying to balance budgets rather than strategic priorities that lead to transformative change. In doing so, the emphasis remains on preserving current business practices in higher education, which often recycles dysfunctional and low-performing programs and services rather than helping systems and institutions evolve into realizing the best outcomes. Effective Appreciative Inquiry practitioners engage people to share their memorable experiences, which lays the groundwork and creates a flow of dialogue that influences the processes for facilitating a strengths-based approach to budgeting.