2. Best Hopes

3. Preferred Future

1. Elicit Strengths

4. What’s Already Working?

5. Small Signs of Progress

6. Compliments

Sol

utio

n F

ocus

Pro

cess

Starting a Solution Focused Session

� Problem free talk

� Noticing strengths

1. Elicit Strengths

Nancy Kline

When people say three things that are true and positive about themselves at the start of a meeting –you get a better meeting

Eliciting “Best Hopes” for this

Session

• If today was useful to you,

• how would you know?

• what would your colleagues, manager, partner notice about you that told them it had been good?

Best Hopes

Eliciting “Preferred Future”

If things (the subject of the session) turn out in such a way that was best– how would you know?

What else (detailed description)

3. Preferred Future

Miracle Question

� So here’s a funny question...

� If you went to sleep tonight and there was a miracle, you didn’t know that this would happen and when you awoke things were exactly as you’d like them to be� What would you notice when you turned

up to work?? What else? What else?

Scaling Question

� Establish a scale between 0 to 10. 10 being as good as possible, 0 very bad

� Where are things on the scale?� What’s got you there and not lower?

4. What’s Already Working?

2. Best Hopes

3. Preferred Future

1. Elicit Strengths

4. What’s Already Working?

5. Small Signs of Progress

6. Compliments

Getting Better!!

5. Small Signs of Progress

Small signs of progress #1

� “so as things started to get a little better –, for the reasons which brought you here – what would you notice??”

� Things to think about

� Descriptions rather than actions at this stage� Tiny signs, salami slices

� Respond to “I wouldn’t” with “what would you be doing instead?”

� What would you notice?

� What would I notice?� What would your partner/parents notice?

� What would your mates notice?� What would people who don’t know you notice

Remember – keep it to very small signs

Small signs of progress #2

6. Compliments

And finally, but very importantly.....

Compliments

� What have you been pleased about in how you’ve taken part today?

� What do you value about how your colleagues have worked?

� If your manager, other team colleagues had been here what would they have noticed?

� Facilitator to provide feedback

2. Best Hopes

3. Preferred Future

1. Elicit Strengths

4. What’s Already Working?

5. Small Signs of Progress

6. Compliments