Blog - The Solutions Focus

Let's get the conversation going | Paul

15/1/2020

We’ve been at a conference in Leuven, Belgium, and our European colleagues tell us that more and more organisations are turning to Solutions Focus as their preferred method of change - for individuals, teams and even the organisational culture as a whole.

They like the focus on what’s wanted (rather than endless analysis of problems), the harnessing of resources (which is fast and economical) and the rapid progress with small, experimental steps (rather than a cumbersome three-year plan that’s daunting to implement and out of date before the ink is dry).

If you think you might be a suitable client to work along those lines with us, here are three good questions to decide which project will most benefit from our collaboration:

What burning issues do you have, that you suspect a solutions-focused approach might well help with?
Is this an issue really worth working on, so that the benefits of progress will outweigh the effort it’s going to take?
Who do we need to get involved to make an engaging start?

Let us know your answers, and we’ll get the conversation going...

What’s it like in your decisive moments? | Paul

15/1/2018

Do you find it hard to make decisions? Yes or No?

If you find out more about both sides of a decision, it may help. Or you just be even more stuck between the two options. What to wear for a conference - that should be relatively easy. It is for me, but not for my business partner.

And what about the ‘big’ decisions? Especially if you are anxiously stuck. How about some different routes towards reaching those?

How Don Jackson brought an interactional view to people seen as dysfunctional

27/11/2017

At the UKASFP conference, Dr Wendel Ray from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, reminded us about Don Jackson, one of the founding fathers of what’s become the solutions-focused approach to change.

Jackson took a view of people not as isolated individuals to be thought about or studied separately, but as part of the small or larger groups to which they belonged. Then any particular individual’s behaviour is seen as them adapting as well as they can to the way the group is operating.

Is Solutions Focus a science, an art or a craft?

10/7/2017

At a recent conference, SF practitioner Chris Iveson reminded us that SF is neither a science nor an art, but a craft.

It’s a craft that may take practice, but it is basically simple. There are a few things we need to do as coaches or therapists. And it is a good idea to learn to do them well.

Then we can easily be tempted to add on various optional extras, which we hope look good. Yes, that is very tempting.

Or we may prefer to keep our practice pared down and minimal. And if that is possible, we can do so with an appreciation that the rest is decoration. The pure craft is enough.

The Solutions Focus Book

How do we make our big decisions? Ripeness is all. | Paul

1/8/2016

The language of decision-making is quite stressful. You make a choice. You have to take a decision. In German it’s a little less stressful: you meet a decision.

In our coaching conversations we can reduce the stress by changing the terms we use. How about ‘I understand you are in a time of deciding. How is that for you?'

Decisions take time, but we ask binary questions like 'Did you decide yet?’ It may be better to acknowledge the time factor, for example by changing the metaphor to one of ‘ripening the decision’. There are things you can do to help ripening - sun, rain - but you can’t rush it.

UKASFP guided walks and slogans

6/6/2016

During a wonderful summer evening’s guided walk round Swansea, as part of the UKASFP conference, we were invited to think up SF slogans to match the photo opportunities along the way.

Fast-moving water on the weir by the River Tawe barrier, prompted ‘stay on the surface’.

Then the sand dunes of Swansea beach reminded us of Insoo Kim Berg’s advice, ‘Leave No Footprints’.

We weren’t sure what to use for a statue of Dylan Thomas opposite the theatre that bears his name.
Any ideas?

How do volunteers create the Roskilde Arts Festival? | Paul

14/12/2015

It was a routine training conference, about five years ago. Between sessions, there was a nice moment when a guy in shorts and long hair played some jazz on the piano at the side of the stage. We were waiting for a festival manager to lecture on the recruitment policy for a Danish arts festival. The pianist paused, stood up on the stage and began his presentation. He was Espen Bardsen of the Roskilde Festival.

12 signs that a conference cares about its participants | Paul

26/8/2013

Have you wondered what makes the difference between a ho-hum conference and one that leaves you inspired and energised? It can be tough choosing the right events to attend, and you’re always risking your time and your cash. I’ve been particularly lucky with my experiences at the conferences of The Applied Improvisation Network (AIN) and the SOLWorld events, both of which have been flourishing for more than a decade.

SOL2012 experience begins - some good questions | Paul

6/9/2012

As I look from my bedroom high over the magnificent quadrangle of Keble College, the signs are promising for a good day at the SOL2012 conference.
Yesterday afternoon, 30 people gathered at Science Oxford for our pre-conference and enthusiastically learned our 12 Things You Need To Know about Solutions Focus.

The philosophical tradition of SF - notes from the EBTA Malmo conference | Paul

8/9/2010

Anton Stellamans led a sparkling session, in which he took us on a quest for a different kind of philosophy, suggesting that perhaps SF itself is a different kind of philosophy.

I’m not sure I understood all of what was said, but here are my more or less useful misunderstandings of one or two highlights of his presentation and the discussion from that workshop.