How to be a Solution-focused Detective: Principles and Tools for Organisational Change

Rod Sherwin

Twitter: @RodSherwin

au.linkedin.com/in/rodsherwin

Are you an expert on the problem or

the solution?

About Me25+ Years in IT 5+ Years Private Practice

• Bachelor of Engineering & Science in Computer Science

• Software Engineer / Business Analyst

• Team Leader & Coach

• Solutions-Focused Organisational Change

• Business Agility

• Helping people with stress, anxiety, panic, phobias, depression, PTSD, abuse, relationships, chronic pain

• Energy medicine, energy psychology, Kinesiology

• Solutions-focused Brief Therapy

• Professional Coach

Rod Sherwin, 2017

The Right Tool for the Right Job

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Sense Making Model

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Cynefin Framework: Dave Snowden

Rod Sherwin, 2017

History of Solutions-focused Approach

• Late 70s, early 80s – Steve de Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg and colleagues at Brief Family Therapy Centre in Milwaukee

– Observation and adjustment (inspect & adapt)

• Late 80s – BRIEF Institute in Europe

• 2002 – The Solutions Focus: Making Coaching Change Simple, Jackson & McKergow

Problem Focus or Solutions Focus?

Problem Focus Solutions Focus• What’s wrong?

• What needs fixing?

• Blame and control

• Causes in the past

• The expert knows best

• Deficits and weaknesses

• Complication

• Definitions

• What’s wanted

• What‘s working

• Progress

• Influence

• Collaboration

• Resources and strengths

• Simplicity

• Actions

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Benefits of SF Approach

Rod Sherwin, 2017

• Help you envision the desired future and move towards it

• An approach for problems that don’t have simple cause/effect relationships e.g. “people” problems

• Works for individuals, teams and organisations

• Positive Pragmatic approach based on practice not theory

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Solution Conversation

Try it - Problem Talk

• What’s wrong?

• Why are you doing so badly?

• What’s blocking you?

• Whose fault is it?

• What are the other things that make it hard?

• Why will it be difficult for you to do any better?

Try it - Solution Talk

• What would you like to happen?

• How will you know you’ve achieved it?

• What was the best you ever did (at this thing)?

• What went well on that occasion?

• What will be the first signs that you’re getting better?

• How will other people notice this improvement?

Principles of Solutions Focus

Change is happening all the time. We want to identify and amplify useful change.

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Principles of Solutions Focus

Detailed understanding of the “problem” is usually little help at arriving at the solution

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Principles of Solutions Focus

No problem is always all the time. Direct route is to identify where there is evidence/clues of what we want more of and do more of that.

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Principles of Solutions Focus

Small changes in the right direction can be amplified to great effect.

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Principles of Solutions Focus

The client is the expert in their context.

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Principles of SF Change

1. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

2. Find what works and do more of it.

3. (Optional) Stop doing what doesn’t work and do something different.

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Complex Problems – Simple Solutions

“Causes of problems may be extremely complex, their solutions do not necessarily need to be.”

-- Steve de Shazer

Rod Sherwin, 2017

6 Solutions Tools

Future Perfect

Platform: What’s wanted?

Counters: Find what’s working, useful or helpful

Affirms: Identify useful qualities and skills

Small Actions:Do more of what works, orTry something different

Rod Sherwin, 2017

1. Establish a Platform for Change

• Empathy first – “That sounds tough…”

• What’s wanted – instead of the problem

• Direction not a goal

• Establish the benefits

• Is there a willingness to take action?

Rod Sherwin, 2017

2. Future Perfect

Future Perfect

Problemuss vanishess

Rod Sherwin, 2017

The Problem

2. Future Perfect

• Supposed the problem went away overnight: How would you know?

• What would you notice was different?

• Describe concrete observable behaviours

• From different points of view: Boss, colleagues, friends, computer?

• What else? What else? What else?

• More detail the better

Rod Sherwin, 2017

3. What Counts towards the solution?

Rod Sherwin, 2017

• When does the Future Perfect happen, even a little bit?

• How did you make that happen?

• Where in your life have you overcome similar problems?

• How are you coping?

• Who believes you could do this?

• What other resources do you have that can help?

3. What Counts towards the solution?

Rod Sherwin, 2017

• Resources• Skills• Know-how• Expertise• Strengths• Attitudes• Ideas• What else?

4. Scale

0

10

5

Future Perfect

Worst or Opposite of FP

?

• On a scale from 0 – 10, where are you now?

• What’s already happening that makes you this high?

• What are you doing right at least some of the time?

• Have there been times when we were higher on the scale? What was happening then?

• What else? What else? What else?

• Why aren’t we at a 10?• How do we get from here to a 10?

Rod Sherwin, 2017

5. Small Actions

• What would be different at +1 on your scale?

• What would others notice at +1?

• What small actions could you take in the next few days to move you towards this?

• What would be a first step towards that?

Benefits: No resistance, low risk, early feedback

+1?

Future Perfect

Rod Sherwin, 2017

0

10

5

6. Affirming and Compliments

Rod Sherwin, 2017

• What are you most impressed with?

• What skills and resources have you observed during the conversation?

• What are grounds for optimism?

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Principles of Solutions Focus

• Change is happening all the time. Identify and amplify useful change

• Detailed understanding of the “problem” is usually little help at arriving at the solution

• No problem is always all the time. What’s different when there is evidence of what’s wanted?

• Small changes in the right direction can be amplified to great effect

• Client is the expert in their context

Six Solutions Tools

Future Perfect

Platform: What’s wanted?

Counters: Find what’s working, useful or helpful

Affirms: Identify useful qualities and skills

Small Actions:Do more of what works, orTry something different

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Rod Sherwin, 2017

Become a Solutions Detective

1. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

2. Find what works and do more of it.

3. (Optional) Stop doing what doesn’t work and do something different.

Resources

Rod Sherwin, 2017

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