We’ve all said it – “If only people came to me with solutions not problems!” Yet when something goes wrong, 
sometimes it’s just human nature to focus on the negative.
So how can you do better thinking about problems, and encourage others to do the same? The Solution Focused Approach may be just the answer you need.
Think for a moment about when you last had really tricky problem that just wouldn’t go away. What did you do? Did you talk it over with someone, or do a list of it pros and cons about it, or mull it over alone, or something else? Did you get anywhere? If you did, I’m guessing that you adopted a particular mindset – either deliberately or unconsciously – and you thought ahead to your goal or desired outcome. And if you didn’t get anywhere, I’m guessing that you just thought about the problem, over and over. And maybe came back to square one again.
Phlosophers and psychologists have long said that when we look at only the problem, we see only the problem. It sounds obvious, yet a shift in thinking is often all it takes to see something other than the problem.
This is how the Solution Focused approach (SF) came about. Originally pioneered in the 80s by family therapist Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg, they found that helping clients to shift from thinking about the problem to what the client’s life could be like without it, clients made better progress. They didn’t need to go into the problem in detail, they just helped clients to focus on what the “preferred outcome” looked like. They didn’t ignore problems entirely or rush to solutions, but with skilful questioning, they avoided getting bogged down in the problem.
In short, SF brings attention to:
- the positive rather than the negative
- the present and the future rather than the past
- the solution rather than the problem
SF has since been adapted for use across many fields of industry and education. It can be used in executive and team coaching, group facilitation, organisation development, stakeholder management, change management, project management .. the list is endless.
Whether you want to make conversations with a usually negative person more productive, re-energise your team meetings, generate better appraisal discussions, or conduct great negotiations, you’ll find it useful. It’s fundamentally a questioning and conversational tool although you may find it equally helpful in your private thinking time. SF is built on a series of core principles:
- Be respectfully curious – ask meaningful questions but don’t interrogate
- Look to the “preferred” future not the past
- Look for resources rather than deficits – what are the person’s (or organisation’s) strengths?Look to the “preferred” future not the past
- Build on success – once you know what works, do more of it
- Stop doing something if it’s not working, do something different!
- There will nearly always be times when the problem is not happening – what’s different then?
- Find out what is already contributing to the preferred future that can be built upon
- Accept that people are the experts in all aspects of their own lives
- Believe that small steps can genuinely make a big difference
- Have genuine expectations of good outcomes
Like most coaching models, SF has numerous “tools” you can use; their effectiveness depends on the timing, tone and context, and all can be mastered with practise. Here are some of the most effective ones:
Best Hopes / Outcome
This establishes a goal, ensures that people set their own agenda, and generates a sense of optimism.
“What are your best hopes for our meeting today?”
The Preferred Future
Where people can envision a future that’s real for them, they are much more likely to take action, and the more detailed the picture, the more powerful it is. A series of questions can be used to help (as long as each answer is fully listened to before the next one is asked!)
“We’re agreed that going forward we’d all like this team to be working more effectively. “How would we know that was happening?” “What would we be seeing and doing?” “Who else would notice?” “What would they see?” “What else?”
Scaling
One of the most powerful tools in SF, scaling enables the person to articulate how close they are to the preferred future as well as stating the size of the problem as they see it. Often it’s easier to give a number than put our feelings into words. A low number e.g. 4 offers the opportunity to explore what’s happening that’s making it a 4 and not zero, and a high number offers the opportunity to spotlight strengths and resources being utilised.
“So if 10 represents us hitting budget and 0 the opposite, where would you score us currently?”
Resources
Everyone has resources – they just might not know it. It’s a powerful way of acknowledging that people are not helpless and that they are coping. Resources might be skills, past experience, people, or tools – anything that aids.
“You’ve said in the past that you find talking to Simon the CEO a bit daunting. Yet how did you manage to have that tough conversation with him yesterday?”
“What did we do to win this client in the first place, and how might our learning from that contribute in getting this new piece of work?”
The Miracle Question
This helps the person to articulate the preferred future – i.e. what life will be like when the problem has gone.
“Imagine for a moment that the problem disappeared overnight – what would you see / feel / how would you know / that would tell you the problem had gone? “
Exceptions
SF believes that there will always be exceptions when a problem is not occurring, but people often fail to notice because they’re looking for the problem. Once identified, exceptions can be used to do more of whatever it is that makes the difference.
“You said that Jake and Karen always argue when you put them to work together. Can you recall a time when they didn’t argue? ….. What was different?”
Asking “What else? “
The richer the detail, the more powerful the picture and the more resourceful the person will feel.
“If you were better prepared, you’d be feeling a lot more confident about giving the presentation. What else would you be noticing?”
Compliments
Compliments are a key part of SF. Validating what the person is already doing well and acknowledging their efforts encourages them to continue.
“You’ve clearly made considerable efforts to improve the relationship with this demanding customer, yet they’re still complaining. I think that’s required a lot of resilience from you; it can’t have been easy”.
Conclusion
Once people articulate things in positive future focused language, they start to make improvements almost immediately. Whilst learning from mistakes is useful, often knowing what to do next is more helpful than knowing what you did wrong before.
Like athletes visualising themselves first at the finishing post, taking a Solution Focused approach energises, motivates and makes the vision seem attainable. And as Henry Ford is credited with saying, “If you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re probably right!”.
If this approach is new to you and you decide to try it out, I would love to get your feedback.
www.aspey.com
Linda@aspey.com
