Solutions

9/12/2017

I worked with a leadership team recently where we experimented with reframing statements from problems-focus to solutions-focus to see what would happen if we did. The team had been grappling with difficult issues for some time which had led some to the near-resigned conclusion that there was little hope of change. I wondered whether part of the challenge and resulting mood lay in the psychological-linguistic framing of the issues rather than, necessarily, in the issues themselves.

I was curious and invited the team to be curious too about how the issues were being perceived, construed and articulated within the team – a kind of team self-talk, if you like. If someone said, ‘X will not work because of Y’, we experimented with reframing the statement as a question instead, e.g. ‘Given Y, what would it take for X to work?’ It shifted the conversation from a definitive, closed end to an open, curious, exploration of new possibilities and ideas. It created fresh energy too.

I’ve worked with some clients where a person may comment that, for instance, ‘X is a good idea in principle but it would never work here.’ It’s often a response from someone who has worked a long time in the same place, has been around the proverbial block a few times or is starting to feel a bit jaded. I try to tune into the mood, acknowledge the underlying feeling and then reframe it: ‘OK, so what would work here?’ or, perhaps, ‘If X is a good idea, what would it take for it to work here?’

In my experience, solutions-focus works best when done in an open (e.g. prayerful) spirit, eliciting values (what matters to you – to motivate), creative visioning (what do you/we hope for – to inspire), appreciative inquiry (what’s working well – to build on) and affirming strengths (what are you/we good at – to draw on). Positive appraisal of the present with optimistic aspiration for the future lead well into: ‘So, what would need to happen for that to happen?’ and, ‘The next step?'

72 Comments

Louise Frayne MSc, LL.B (Hons), Chartered FCIPD

11/12/2017 03:53:57 pm

Reframing is a positive way to address conflict and as you say Nick keeps the conversation solutions focused. Like a muscle it takes practice to grow stronger and a commitment from all to embed it as a successful strategy so it becomes 'this is the way we do things around here'.

Nick Wright

11/12/2017 03:57:07 pm

Thanks Louise. I like your muscle metaphor. My sense is that a solutions-focus sometimes calls for a change in mindset, outlook and approach. This takes awareness and practise, including within teams, until it becomes a cultural norm.

Srihari Balasubramaniam

12/12/2017 09:00:28 am

Good post Nick..I agree reframing is very effective and kinda opens ups closed minds. I am a great fan of the " How Might We" question in terms of doing things better, different in situations where there is a stalemate.

12/12/2017 09:01:48 am

Thanks Srihari. 'How might we?' is a good question. A similar approach could be to ask, 'If we were doing this successfully, what would we be doing?'

Ian Henderson

12/12/2017 09:02:21 am

Insightful as ever Nick - thanks for posting my good friend.

12/12/2017 09:03:05 am

Thanks for such encouraging feedback, Ian - as always! :)

Ruby Manalac

14/12/2017 01:42:39 pm

This is very helpful Nick. Thank you.

14/12/2017 01:43:03 pm

Thank you for your kind feedback, Ruby.

Claudia Bloom

15/12/2017 10:23:29 am

Just to add a little, I have noticed that it also helps to frame solutions in terms of specific measurable behaviors that people would be doing instead. I read a good post on LinkedIn the other day that discussed the power of starting brainstorming with, "What's the worst instance of this problem you've seen?" Have fun with it, get all the complaints and examples on the flipchart, then make another column with "What would people be observed doing differently if we did have a solution to this problem?" Now, we have clarity on backing up to say, "What will it take to get this desirable behavior?"

15/12/2017 10:29:21 am

Thanks Claudia. Yes, Prof Michael West suggests something similar by using 'negative brainstorming', It makes it really OK for people to express objections or concerns and to bring them out into the open. He then moves on to invite the group to create solutions to the issues they have listed.

I think the 'doing instead' idea is useful. I used something similar with a group that was raising all kinds of objections to a new appraisal system because, in their view, it had been done before and had worked (or not worked) badly. I reframed it as a question: 'So, if you were to be doing this really well, what would you be doing?'

It changed the focus of the conversation from problems towards solutions and the group came up with some great ideas to take it forward.

Ian Brownlee

16/12/2017 10:37:59 pm

Surely everything that we do as trainers should be solutions-focused: either to solve current problems or to anticipate, as much as possible, future ones by providing possible way to identify potential ones and thereby avoid them.

16/12/2017 10:47:24 pm

Hi Ian. Yes, there is a sense in which all training should be solutions-orientated; depending of course on the goal and nature of the training. There's also a kind of paradox in 'solve current problems' or 'identify potential problems' because a solutions-focused mindset, approach and methodology is very different to a problem-solving one. There are parallels in appreciative inquiry. You may find this short piece interesting? http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/an-appreciated-inquiry

Anu Sukhija

17/12/2017 08:11:04 pm

Interesting approach,Nick. loved it. Can you give me an example of participants complaining about corporate culture during assertiveness training. When asked to be assertive and share suggestions , they whine "but whats the use. Management here doesnt listen to us anyway. They impose their ideas!" Any ideas on solution focussed statements/ques in this case?

17/12/2017 08:33:22 pm

Thanks Anu. I have had similar experiences with some people/groups in organisations and in training. Here are some thoughts that come to mind:

1. Take the idea and associated feelings seriously: that management may not listen and may impose ideas. It is one possible scenario and it may reflect their actual experience. Try posing, 'e.g. Given that reality, what do you need to do (or what are you willing to do) here to influence change?', 'What would need to happen for that to happen?'

2. Try an appreciative inquiry, e.g. 'Where have you seen, experienced or heard of people influence managers (or management) here effectively?' In order to build on that, 'What do you need to do here more of the time in order to influence effectively?', 'What are you willing to do?'

3. Try a strengths-based approach, e.g. 'When have you been assertive inside or outside of work and what positive difference has it made?' If people only describe situations where they felt unassertive ask, 'How it it that you weren't even less assertive?' If they can think of situations where they have been assertive, 'How can you apply what you did then in situations you encounter here?'

4. Try a solutions-focused approach, e.g. 'Imagine you were being assertive and effective in influencing management here. What would you be doing?' I hope that helps!

18/12/2017 09:26:12 pm

Thanks Nick, appreciate your ideas...

18/12/2017 09:26:44 pm

Hi Anu. You're welcome. :)

Choo Huat, Billy Teoh

18/12/2017 08:30:40 am

Generally, I find strength based and solution focused useful. However, with 'fixed mindset' coachees (usually a default position); 'coachability readiness' is often an uphill challenge. So far, I have witnessed that even the very best coaches in the world, will need a more deliberate effort to coach around 'coachability readiness' (although on paper, it looks easy with strength based and solution focused). Bottomline for me, is still chemistry. No chemistry no flow (even with the best techniques applied). 😁😄😊

18/12/2017 08:38:17 am

Hi Choo. I think that's a good point about 'coachability readiness', especially if a person feels pressured or forced into a coaching relationship, e.g. by an employer for remedial purposes. It's one area where relationship-building and skilful contracting is so important. I agree on chemistry. It can certainly make a 'magical' difference. In some situations, rapport and a willingness to engage are good - and enough?

Jill Berquist

18/12/2017 08:40:31 am

Great post, Nick.
A very relevant read or training would be Conversational Intelligence - the work of Judith Glaser. Very much in alignment.

18/12/2017 08:42:03 am

Thanks Jill. Yes, there are resonances with Glaser's work on 'conversational intelligence'.

ANGELA BIRCH Cert Ed (PGCE)

18/12/2017 08:43:47 am

A sociocratic approach can bring natural inclusion and holds value, being in an environment where ideas are shared and discussed, with respect and effective listening by everyone can promote self esteem, confidence and courage of conviction to communicate reasoning for outlook and opinion.

Presenting concepts 'In reverse' of traditional approaches brings freshness and enthusiasm for positive change, creativity and self empowerment, this in turn can provide overall wellbeing through 'Being heard'.

18/12/2017 08:48:24 am

Hi Angela. I think that's an interesting dimension to this conversation. I hadn't heard of a 'sociocratic approach' before although, having Googled it, I have worked in an international NGO that tried to adopt similar principles. Do you have any examples from experience that you could share to show what it could look like in practice?

Tushar Shetty

18/12/2017 09:23:25 pm

An interesting perspective you have already planted in my mind now. I feel with any requirement and time span available could also be a factor deciding should you be solution or problem focused training.

Actionable which are result oriented or risk driven gives a limited scope of a solution driven approach never the less I see a world of opportunities with a solution based approach!!!

18/12/2017 09:24:43 pm

Thanks Tushar. Let me know what happens when you test those opportunities!

Lovely Kumar

18/12/2017 09:28:51 pm

Solutions focussed frame is a highly effective frame. Reframing problem focussed statements to solution focussed gets the mind thinking in a different manner.

18/12/2017 09:30:41 pm

Hi Lovely. Yes, in my experience it can shift perspective, energy and insight - and ideas - quite dramatically.

Kahiwa Sebire

19/12/2017 09:13:47 am

Sounds a lot like Appreciative Inquiry, which I've found to be incredibly useful as a tool for needs assessment, as well as a structure for training sessions themselves - what is already working that we can enhance or expand, what is the vision of the future and what would we need to get there.

19/12/2017 09:15:58 am

Hi Kahiwa. Yes, there are similarities and overlaps in a number of positive psychological approaches. You may find this related short piece interesting? It sounds like it resonates with your experiences too. http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/appreciate

Sue Mitchell

19/12/2017 09:18:43 am

Great post, thanks for sharing.

19/12/2017 09:19:16 am

Thanks Sue. You're welcome. :)

Peter Kennedy

19/12/2017 09:31:20 am

Enjoyed your share Nick, thanks for the insights. One of the key things I support clients with is “problem framing”, and this often posed as a better question to enable divergent thinking and enquiry. The solution space we deal with is directly dictated by the question/problem posed due to cognitive biases such as anchoring, functional fixedness, and selective perception to name a few.

19/12/2017 09:39:35 am

Thanks Peter. You reminded me of 'problem tree analysis' used in some international NGOs. I agree - the quality of the question(s) is a critical influencing factor in what ideas and solutions emerge. I think social constructionism has some interesting and useful insights here too as the definition of a 'problem' is personally and socially constructed rather than something that is, say, simply there per-se. You may find this short piece interesting? Let me know what you think! http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/more-than-words-can-say

Marcia Sapoznik, - L.M.F.T, Ph.D.(ABD)

19/12/2017 03:56:24 pm

Nick, thanks for reminding us that S-F questions can bring up various ideas from the team on how to solve the issues between the team members. Posing questions helps people listen to the others' views, which might help the others in the team understand how and what got them to the place that now needs solutions. Some people in a team may not speak-up, and S-F questions may provide that person a way to express their views.

19/12/2017 04:00:20 pm

Thanks Marcia. You're welcome. Interestingly, writers on solutions-focused approaches (e.g. Carole Pemberton in Coaching to Solutions) often argue that it is not necessary to explore 'how we got here' as a route to exploring and creating solutions. I guess that's one of the key differences between S-F and traditional problem-solving.

Kenya Ellis

19/12/2017 07:12:22 pm

Really love the positive spin on leadership that this article presented. Thank you Nick for posting this.

19/12/2017 07:13:15 pm

Hi Kenya. Thanks for your encouraging feedback!

Eddie Loussarian

20/12/2017 01:38:22 am

If you're looking to make your training program more solutions-focused, check out the book "When Bosses Go Wild."

I am sure you have heard people complain about low morale from bosses that make the work environment so unpleasant that their employees look for greener pastures elsewhere.

In the book "When Bosses Go Wild," you will find 12 morale-killing habits managers and supervisors would do well to stay away from.

This quick-read guide details the bad habits – and the good habits you should have to counteract them so you don't become labeled a "bad boss."

20/12/2017 01:41:36 am

Hi Eddie. That sounds like a bit of a plug for your book..! I'm curious - are you willing to share some insights here that could be useful for the solutions-focus conversation?

Charlie Lang

21/12/2017 11:30:26 am

Agree that the willingness of the coachee to be coached is key for potential success of coaching. I found that a coach should check coaching readiness during the chemistry check session which should happen before the contracting. If in that meeting no willingness to be coached can be generated, I'd recommend to pull out and not go forward with coaching that person. Luckily, there are a number of ways how coaching willingness can be generated even with a very critical or resistant coachee. Chemistry is, of course, critical, then we need to understand what the resistance is all about and finally what would make coaching useful for this coachee so that they would be willing to spend time and effort.

21/12/2017 11:37:47 am

Thanks Charlie. I spoke with an insightful therapist-coach friend in the USA yesterday, Tyler Zabriskie, who commented that, 'We need to be careful that we don't find ourselves working harder than the client.' I think that resonates well with what you are saying here.

I agree that it means contracting with awareness from the outset. If we sense that the client is not committed to the relationship, the process or the goals, we can raise this directly and use a solutions-focus to address it.

For example: 'If this coaching were to be genuinely inspiring and effective (...or worthwhile or engaging or useful...or whatever else matters most to the client) for you, what would we be doing?' and 'So: what would need to happen for that to happen?'

Felecia Pittman

21/12/2017 11:39:02 am

What a timely discussion, Nick. I am preparing a company-wide presentation on Solution Focused problem solving as we speak! Thanks for sharing!

21/12/2017 11:44:11 am

Hi Felecia. What great timing. :) You may find this short related piece interesting and useful? http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/seeking-solutions. Let us know how your presentation goes!

Abd Rahim Ahmad

22/12/2017 09:06:38 am

Its just like coaching. It has to be just Solution Focus.

22/12/2017 09:07:48 am

Hi Abd. Do you have any examples of 'solutions focus' in your training practice that you could share here?

Paul Stevens

24/12/2017 01:20:06 pm

You cannot effectively coach someone not ready for coaching. It may feel like you are making progress but probably you are actually directing them and they really aren’t on board. The foundation for coaching is trust / rapport. That said I like your approach, reframing from in the box thinking to solutions mode once they have got it off their chest the first time.i don’t think coaching is effective in performance management - it is probably too late once you are there and trust is probably gone.

24/12/2017 01:21:41 pm

Hi Paul. I think that's why posing questions at contracting stage such as, 'If we were to have a really useful conversation, what would we be doing?' are so important.

Razi Hashmy

24/12/2017 08:05:55 pm

A really powerful and effective approach...

24/12/2017 08:06:21 pm

Thanks Razi.

Zack Lim

27/12/2017 10:50:04 am

Just a quick question to stimulate another line of hopefully-meaningful and interesting discussions: "What if you are already a thoughtful person who without any prompting, always think about what it would take for X to work and even come up with potential soluations almost instantaneously. Would you usually hold back the conclusion and go through the motion of discussing with others one step at a time? Or rush to the conclusion and confuse everyone but a few who are just as 'quick-witted'?" (Incidentally, I think as training professionals who believe in structured and reflective learnings, almost everyone here in this thread may be someone like this.)

27/12/2017 10:56:36 am

Hi Zack. I think that's an interesting question. My sense is that it's about contracting with individuals and groups - and recontracting where needed - in terms of e.g. 'What would you find useful to talk about/work on together', 'How shall we do this?', 'In relation to that, where are you now?', 'The next step?' and 'Are we finished?' It's also about space and pace. Different people and groups need different space and pace, depending on e.g. personal preferences, task timeframes etc. You may find these related short pieces interesting?

http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/space-and-pace
http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/light-crispy-spicy

Shabari Madappa

27/12/2017 10:58:13 am

Thanks Nick...insightful and hugely relevant. I find the S-F process deceivingly simple and yet hard to practice consistently. Maybe because of a mindset that is restless to first discover what got us into the mess in the first place. I agree, first the environment we create needs to be open and curious. Am going to use that to 'read the room' the next time I choose to offer a solutions focused approach.

27/12/2017 11:08:47 am

Thanks Shabari. I love the way you expressed that: 'a mindset that is restless to first discover what got us into the mess in the first place.' :)

I have found that some people get a real buzz from searching out problems and resolving them. It gives them a sense of achievement and satisfaction, a sense of a job-well-done. In my experience, this has often been people who have chosen to work in roles such as IT, Finance, HR and Audit where this type of focus and ability can be immensely important.

I think it raises a number of useful points that are worth consideration, e.g. (a) personal preferences and professional backgrounds in the room; (b) the degree of curiosity to explore alternative approaches (- which sometimes depends on emotional states and relationships in the room at the time); (c) a willingness to consider that 'mess' is a construct rather than a description.

Abdullah Alemam

27/12/2017 12:19:47 pm

Thank that is very importany im interseting.

27/12/2017 12:20:20 pm

Thank you, Abdullah. You're welcome.

Angela Clark, M.Ed.

10/1/2018 09:03:36 pm

It seems that the objectives of the training were not clear because all training is solution based on the objectives defined to solve the problem and the business model objectives of the company.

10/1/2018 09:05:31 pm

Hi Angela. What training are you referring to..? And...are you sure..?

Ruth Berghan

12/1/2018 08:10:27 am

Great article Nick. In my former workplace we often used the 'what worked, what didn't and what will we do differently next time'. This encouraged people to be open and transparent and to offer solutions.

12/1/2018 04:00:33 pm

Thanks Ruth. That sounds similar to WWW (what went well) and EBI (even better if) in learning reviews. You may find this short related piece interesting? http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/positive

Derek Rowe

15/1/2018 11:44:32 am

Great post. One thing. What you were doing with group sounds like facilitation rather than training. Would you concur?

15/1/2018 11:45:23 am

Thanks Derek. That's an interesting question. I guess it depends where you draw lines and boundaries between facilitation and training?

Chinwe Kalu

18/1/2018 10:16:07 am

Training, facilitation, as long as we are having conversations that get companies past their issues and coming up with solutions. Many organizations never maximize themselves because the environment does not encourage people to proffer these solutions. Great post. Ck

18/1/2018 10:25:48 am

Thanks Chinwe. I think that's an important point. I remember coaching a colleague who was working in a local authority in the UK. She had worked in a charity beforehand that had welcomed and supported personal leadership, proposing solutions to issues etc. In this new situation, she was actively discouraged from proposing solutions because her line-manager considered that to be her job and, apparently, felt threatened by my coachee's proposals. The political dynamics of hierarchy exhausted the coachee and, over time, she left. I guess it begs the question of how skilfully to handle such dynamics in a solutions-focused manner.

John Cooper

18/1/2018 10:27:18 am

Hi Nick
I enjoyed this discussion - thanks. We have worked with a lot of organisations using various problem-solving and quality management tools and there is always a very different dynamic when you start with 'Where do you want to be?" rather than "Where are you, currently?". The basis of many six sigma and TQM tools relies on defining your 'desired' state' and then identifying the barriers that prevent you from getting there. It sometime requires skillful facilitation but definitely training should work on the same basis.
Thanks

18/1/2018 10:28:58 am

Thanks John. That reminds me of Covey's 'Begin with the End in Mind'.

Margaret Boyce-Cooley

18/1/2018 05:19:45 pm

I find the role much of our team plays is as facilitator- especially in the discovery phase.

18/1/2018 05:20:23 pm

Hi Margaret. Do you have any examples from experience you could share?

Thomas (Ted) Preisser

20/1/2018 03:56:01 pm

I see this as essentially possible but I'm thinking that it needs an industry that accommodates openness, not just a group of representatives. The bigger the business, the less likely that decision makers will make the time for this sort of "feel good" strategy, regardless of its efficacy. In my years with construction, nuclear energy, and big consulting, I could hardly have imagined anyone inside the organization following this process... unless, of course, there was a dollar to be made by selling it to someone. Cynical? More a pragmatist. I would, however, like to see it happen, just like "and" replacing "but" to foster team confidence in batting solutions around.

20/1/2018 04:01:48 pm

Hi Thomas. I'm really curious - what do you think it was about those environments that means a solutions-focused approach would not be welcomed or seen as valuable? I could reframe the question in a solutions-focused way to ask, 'What would make a solutions-focused approach successful in the construction, nuclear energy and big consulting places you have worked?' The only context in which I have seen it rejected (implicitly rather than explicitly) is a very hierarchical organisation where some managers viewed suggestions from subordinates as threatening or inappropriate.

Juliet Mitchell

20/1/2018 04:02:36 pm

In response to Nick, I'd like examples as well. This is something that I have found challenging.

20/1/2018 04:05:33 pm

Hi Juliet. It sounds like you already have some examples in mind. What are the challenges you have faced and what would it take to overcome them? If you were to imagine a solutions-focused approach being successful in those situations, what would need to happen for that to happen?

Lakshmikala Narasimhan

19/2/2018 10:11:30 pm

Hi Nick.. I enjoyed reading. For me this seem more like AI model. Emphasizing on good rather than pointing out on bad. But thinking bit practically and loud, how feasible and easy it is to implement solution driven approach in a big organization? If you think, I understood your points well, multiple level/round of OD intervention and team time is required. We can deliver through training. But continuous follow-ups and post training connect is required. Seem to be a long process. Structured approach and simulated case studies can be used to transform the thoughts. I'm open to work with you on this if you are interested. ~ Lakshmi

19/2/2018 10:15:45 pm

Thanks Lakshmi. Yes, there are clear resonances between a solutions-focuses approach and appreciative inquiry. They both reflect a positive psychological in outlook and approach. I agree that there is a difference between a solutions focus in, say, a training event and solutions focus as a wider organisational-cultural outlook and approach. Whereas the latter can certainly support and help reinforce the former, I don't believe it's a necessary condition for solutions-focused training to be successful. What do you think?

Solutions

Leave a Reply.

Nick Wright

Archives

Categories

Solutions

Leave a Reply.

​Nick Wright

​Archives

Categories

Nick Wright

Archives