These tracks feature Solution Focus in action, whether case studies or approaches to using SF.

InterAction Collection 2023

Listening to this discussion about D-BIT’s drop in service was a joy. My route into solution-focused practice was via social work, and I have always felt that this approach offers a way for social workers to practise that adheres to our values. This is by no means easy in the contemporary social care context. This is borne out here by the D-BIT workers and two of the young people who made use of their drop in. 

One of my social work heroes, Bill Jordan, believed that, at their best, social workers could be characterised by their willingness ‘to forsake the formality of their roles, and to ‘mix’ it with ordinary people in their ‘natural’ settings, using the informality of their methods as a means of negotiating solutions to problems rather than imposing them’. 

One of the ways that this willingness was evident here was where the conversations with young people took place. In effect, Luke, Steve and the other D-BIT workers were dropping in on where the young people were, by situating the service in their supported accommodation. As Zak said: "Nice having someone coming to you - a place where you are comfy - where you feel safe…" 
 
It was also fascinating hearing the young people explain the conversations that took place. They were different from counselling, like talking to your mates, or somewhere in between. I was particularly struck by T.J. describing them as conversations, not interrogations, with the workers not finding things out about people and writing them down. He appreciated talking to someone who wanted to help but not be too involved. 

This is a delicate balance to strike, and T.J’s testimony suggests the D-BIT workers do it beautifully, which to anyone who has been following their work in recent years should come as no surprise.
Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash

It is nice to have someone who actually cares

Laughing together is essential for creating trust among employees, boosting morale, and increasing retention rates. Additionally, it can be a powerful tool for reducing stress and sparking creativity. 

Bea Bincze and Kornél Csajtai, from Hungary, provide coaching sessions for organisations and strive to create a safe and humorous environment, that helps their clients achieve their goals in a fun and efficient manner.

In this audio, Bea and Kornél build upon your existing skills and knowledge, providing practical tools and methods that you can implement immediately. 

They combine the Association of Applied and Therapeutic Humor's best practices with their own coaching experiences, to offer you a deeper understanding of the benefits of humour in organisations. You can try out new tools, discover your humour style, and even design your own tools. 

Format: Audio
Level: Introductory and Intermediate/Advanced

Laugh Your Way To Solution

In this video, Yoram offers you a twofold activity. 
In the first part he presents The Genius Zone, (a term Gay Hendricks coined) as a possible concept for building the answer to the Miracle Question. Viewers can identify their Genius Zone and learn how to help clients identify it.
In the second part he queries how one might combine the SF paradigm with another paradigm/model. The idea and the main message is to continue developing Solution Focused thinking by interacting between the SF language and another one.
By watching or listening, you can expect at least two benefits:
1.  To get acquainted with the concept of The Genius Zone and the offered idea of its relation to SF by exploring their own Zone of Genius
2.  To further develop the already known SF approach by looking at the work presented and learning.
You can discover your own Genius Zone and ponder what might be useful for you to develop in the SF arena.

Format: Workshop
Level: Intermediate/Advanced

The SF Genius Zone

What do SF practitioners that are involved in large-scale change projects do that works?
The Macroanalysis Study Group has studied this question for the last two years. We have examined case stories together and identified some distinctive features of SF organisational development (OD) processes.
In the first part of this audio, we share these insights with you and get your ideas and feedback.
During the second part of our workshop, you hear a short presentation of an OD case and reflecting teams collect “wow-moments”, ideas and insights for you and our case owner.
The audio concludes with a harvest of new insights and possibly further questions leading to more learning in the future.

This audio should provide you with ideas, skills and inspiration if you:
•	are already working in OD and making it even more SF or
•	want to expand your skills from individuals and teams to work with whole-scale organisational or inter-organisational change, 
Be prepared to gain new insights!

Micro Skills In A Macro World V2

When sharing feedback, we want to provide opportunities for learning and growth. Done well, it can strengthen our relationships and raise performance. Done poorly, it can be uncomfortable and even devastating for the recipient.

Working with clients on global leadership programmes, we created this workshop to take the fear out of feedback. We will give you the tools to start delivering meaningful messages in ways that are heard and acted on. 

You'll experience a new 6-step SF SPIRAL feedback model, which offers step-by-step guidance on confidently approaching these conversations.

From watching this video, you will:
•	Experience a solution-focused feedback model
•	Learn to frame comments in a productive and positive way
•	Demonstrate your ability to give and receive clear and impactful feedback.
•	Take away our new 6-step SF SPIRAL feedback model

Format: Workshop
Level: Introductory/Intermediate/Advanced

Getting The Best From Feedback

In a VUCA world, organisations must significantly increase their change of pace. Leaders and coaches must apply state-of-the-art “social technologies” to effect profound organisational transformations. Solution Focus (SF)provides such an effective “social technology”.

SF Organisational Development (OD) is a pragmatic and powerful approach to organisational change that combines three benefits that can rarely be achieved in concert: greater speed (fast), more agility (fluid) and stronger stakeholder engagement (fun).

What do solution focused change coaches and leaders need to do to reap these benefits and trigger a profound transformation? They may allow themselves to be guided by the Solution Focused OD process, which is vividly illustrated in this contribution by using the metaphor of the “Solution Focused gallery walk”.

Chris Iveson of the leading BRIEF Institute, London, introduced the metaphor of the “art gallery” as an orientation for solution-focused conversations in 1999. It was taken up by other SF practitioners, most cogently by Mark McKergow in 2021. He uses the ‘art gallery’ metaphor for the solution-focused transformational dialogue with an organisation.

In this workshop, you will:

Hear from Chris Iveson about what prompted him to invent this metaphor to describe and teach the SF process of change.
Learn from Mark McKergow how he elaborated the art gallery in his book “The Next Generation of Solution Focused Practice”.
Explore together with Susanne Burgstaller how the “SF Art Gallery” can provide orientation for the SF OD process.
Walk through the rooms of the gallery to answer these questions:
Foundation: What assumptions do SF change leaders hold about organisations, change and people?

At the Ticket Office: How is a “joint project”, i.e. the intention and purpose of the transformation, effectively formulated?
In the Resource Room: When and how do we gather resources, building blocks of the preferred future, and signs of progress?
In the Future Gallery: How do change leaders elicit details about the Preferred Future from many different stakeholders?
In the Progress Gallery: How best to make progress visible, reinforce positive outcomes, and keep change in motion?
In the Gift Shop: The secret to how change leaders finish (most of) their work without finishing the transformation!

The Solution Focus Art Gallery

“Dreamwork is what makes the teamwork,” says Anton Stellamans in his marvellous welcome to the 2025 SOLWorld Conference in Mechelen.

It began two years ago in Vienna, when the organisers first dreamt of what SOLWorld 2025 could be. Their dreams took shape, and what dreams they were, in a gathering full of warmth, insight and inspiration.

SFiO is delighted to share Anton’s warm introduction in InterAction.

Whether you were part of the magic in Mechelen or not, we invite you to watch or listen in. You’ll experience the heartfelt rituals, the rich sense of continuity, the thoughtful inclusivity, and the sheer delight that marked the start of the conference. It’s a masterclass in setting the tone for “good company”.

If you were there, let it spark fond memories. If you missed it, here’s your chance to catch the spirit. You can see all SOLWorld 2025 features in the 2025 collection: https://www.sfio.org/interaction-collection/

With heartfelt thanks to our SFiO Financial Contributors—your support made this filming and editing possible. Click on the green button on the website if you would like to ensure recordngs of future conferences.
Annie Bordeleau and John Brooker

Introduction to SOLWorld 2025

Soundcloud features our audio features on Solution Focus in organisations, from The InterAction Collection. We are an international community of Solution Focus practitioners who continue learning and developing the SF approach in organisations.

The Solution Focus Art Gallery

SFiO - Solution Focus in Organisations

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