The 4 Step Method of Solution-Focused Management

© 2004, Coert Visser & Gwenda Schlundt Bodien

Sandra is Edward’s manager, and she finds him difficult to manage. Edward is usually overly critical and seems to care more for his clients than for the company for which he works or his manager’s goals. Sandra genuinely tries her best to see things from Edward’s perspective and to take his wishes into account, but with little effect. Now the company has a new policy, which means concentrating on the core activities and as a consequence certain services will no longer be delivered. Edward explodes, saying: `I will not carry out this stupid decision! My client is very pleased with the service and I will continue to offer it! ` Sandra feels very angry and does not know how to respond.

What has solution-focused thinking got to offer to managers? It is very useful in coaching and consultancy but also managers can benefit from it. The Four Step Method helps managers to manage successfully. The Four Step Method is the most compact way in which we can describe solution-focused thinking.

The Four Step Method of Solution Focused Management When encountering problems the solution focused manager carefully answers the following questions:

1. Acknowledging problems: Acknowledge the problem without paying attention to the causes of the problem. What is the essence of the problem and how does it hinder you? How is it a problem to you?
2. Describing Success: What do you want instead of the problem? What kind of success are you looking for? How will you know that the success happens? What will be better then? How will you be able to change your own behaviour when the success happens?
3. Identify and analyse positive exceptions: When has the success happened already in the past, if only a little bit? Describe the situation; what was different? What caused this success to happen? What was your contribution to this success? How did you do this?
4. Take a small step forward: Think about your answers in step three for awhile. Which aspects of the positive exceptions could you use again? Think about a small step forward, which you could take tomorrow.

Continuation: If it goes well, repeat the steps 2, 3 and 4. If things do not improve, go back to step 1 and then go through with step 2, 3 and 4.

Going through the steps yourself

Sandra acknowledges that she has a problem herself and she goes through the four steps for herself.

Step 1. Acknowledge problems: she discovers what bothers her most. It´s Edward non-constructive attitude, which makes it difficult for her to trust him. Sandra realises that she finds it hard to treat Edward like a valuable member of the team.

Step 2, Describe the success: Sandra thinks about what she wants to achieve. She wants Edward to be a constructive member of the team. She will notice that this success happens when Edward keeps his promises and when she finds herself taking him seriously.

Step 3, Identify and analyse positive exceptions: Sandra tries to find a situation in the past in which Edward already showed himself as a more constructive team member. She remembers a meeting in which Edward behaved constructively. She analyses what was different and remembers that Edward wanted to cancel the meeting at first, because he did not find it very important or useful, but that she had been really firm with him because she was suddenly fed up with his behaviour. She had said: “I expect you to be there and to behave like a co-operative team member! `` To her big surprise the meeting went smoothly, Edward attended the meeting and behaved cooperatively even cheerfully.

Step 4, Take a small step forward: Sandra thinks that she could try this direct approach with Edward once more. She approaches him and says: `I understand you don’t approve of the company policy, but I expect you to comply with it with loyalty!` Edward is quiet for awhile. Then he says: `OK, that’s very clear`And then the conversation takes a turn. Edward apologises for his previous behaviour and says that he will comply with the company policy, but he admits that he does not know how to do it. He asks Sandra for her help. Helping an employee using the four steps.

Sandra decides to help Edward, using the four steps

Step 1, Acknowledge problems: she asks Edward what his problem is. He explains that he fears the response of his client, who is very demanding. He is concerned that the client will not accept the company’s policy not to deliver the service any longer. When Sandra asks Edward how this is a problem to him, he says that he finds it really hard to balance the needs of the client with the needs of his team. He doesn’t take a lot of pleasure in his work any longer.

Step 2, Describe success: Sandra says she understands how hard this is for him. She acknowledges that it is important to Edward to change the situation. Consequently, she asks him what a good balance between the clients needs and the team needs would look like to him. Edward says that he will draw boundaries towards his clients while at the same time remain to be client focused. Sandra then asks how this would help Edward. He says that he would enjoy his work more if he would achieve this success. He also says it would help him to be more friendly to his colleagues. He would feel more part of the team.

Step 3, Identify and analyse positive exceptions: Sandra says: “That sounds good to me! Has there ever been a situation that was a bit like the success you just described?` Edward thinks awhile…. Then he starts to smile. He says that he once had to announce a price increase. He told his client right from the start and he responded annoyed. Edward thought the client would break off the relationship and was so tense that he did not know what to say. But when Edward kept still, the client said something that surprised Edward very much. The client said he wanted to maintain the business relationship because he was very happy with my service level and would therefor put up with the price increase. Then Edward knew how to respond again. I thanked him for his appreciation and then continued the conversation with his client.

Step 4, Take a small step: Sandra responds: “That sounds great! How could this be useful in your current situation? Edward answers: “I am just going to tell him about the company policy! If he gets angry, I will let him get it off his chest until he says something I can respond to positively. That is definitely worth trying! Thanks for your help!

And now it is up to you!Try the four steps of solution focused management yourself! Before you start applying the four steps think carefully about whom is the problem owner. Are you having a problem with an employee or do you want to help an employee with a problem he has got? As becomes clear in this true story of Sandra and Edward, it is very important to make that distinction. When you try the method, we would appreciate to hear from you!

Solution-focused Coaching: Simply Effective

© 2002, Coert Visser & Gwenda Schlundt Bodien

John is a 35-year-old project manager who was offered external coaching. John performed generally well but was said to communicate rather bluntly. The goal of the coaching was to help John improve his communication skills, to communicate more tactful and aware. John and his coach tried to find situations in which john had already done this. Together, they explored these situations and identified which behaviors of John helped to make his communication more effective. Doing this they identified some things that worked really well (taking some time before responding, asking other peoples help, etc.). In the following few weeks John started to apply these solutions consciously. It worked fine. John even applied his new skills in applying for a new job within his organization. He got the job.

Nowadays many managers and employees are assiduously looking for ways to lessen their problems or to increase their work pleasure. The market for external coaching is extensive and growing. Maybe you have considered coaching yourself too. What would you pay attention to when looking for a coach? What form of coaching would suit you? What qualifications should your coach have? An experienced person from your own field of expertise? A person with extensive industry familiarity? An experienced ex-manager? A psychologist? A psychologist with management-experience? A psychotherapist? A neuro-linguistic programmer? Someone of whom you can tell that s/he is a well-balanced person? Someone of whom you know s/he has overcome the very problems you are struggling with? A New Age coach? An enneagram specialist? A healer? A paragnost? An astrologer? You have lots of options if you want a coach......

Solution- focused coaching

Although there seem to be rather too many than too few types of coaches available we want to bring a new kind of coaching under your attention: solution-focused coaching. The reason for this is that this way of working enables coaching’s to be brief, effective and respectful. Originally from the world of therapy, solution-focused coaching is now gaining popularity in the world of work rapidly. The basic assumption of solution-focused coaching is that for each coachee specific individualized solutions for problems work best and that any person is competent to solve his or her own problems. These solutions emerge by asking useful questions by the coach. How does this work? We would like to start with a description of two things that usually do not happen in solution-focused coaching: analysing problem causes and prescribing generic solutions.

No problem analysis and diagnosis

The solution focused approach finds it more useful to focus attention directly on building solutions for problems than on analyzing causes of problems and making a diagnosis. Although diagnosing problems often works with technical and medical problems, it hardly ever works with problems in organizations. Focusing on what’s wrong usually drains people’s energy, makes them feel guilty and distracts them from focusing on their goals.

No theory-based generic solutions

Another thing a solution-focused coach hardly ever does is using theories and expert knowledge. As a rule, the coach does not present generic theory-based solutions. A core assumption of solution-focused coaching is that what works best is to help the coachee find solutions that fit his or her unique circumstances. This inductive way of working leads to individualized solutions that are really owned by the coachee.

Doing what works!

But what is this solution-focus then, you might wonder. In essence it comes down to:

1. Acknowledging problems: first of all acknowledge the problem you might have. In what sense is it a problem? How does it bother you?
2. Defining your preferred future: specify how you would like things to be
3. Identifying solutions: identify what helps you make progress in that desired direction (find out what works)
4. Amplifying solutions: if something works, do MORE of it
5. If you notice something does not work, stop doing it and do something ELSE

Tools of the solution-focused coach
Some specific tools are often used to enable the process of solution building.

1. The miracle question: defining the preferred future
An important tool of the solution-focused coach is the so-called miracle question. This question asks the coachee to described detailedly how his situation would be if a miracle had happened and the problems he now faces had been solved. Inviting the client to visualize his life when the problem no longer exists has a surprisingly strong effect. It gives hope to a better future and starts a positive chain reaction.

2. Positive exceptions: the key to finding solutions
The interesting thing with problems is that they are not continuously present. For instance, imagine a project manager who often misses deadlines. There will have been occasions when he has met (a) deadline(s). There are always exceptions to the problem, situations in which the problem is not happening, or to a lesser extent than usually. These positive exceptions usually form the key to solving the problem. What behavior and circumstances make the problem disappear (or partly disappear) in those instances? An example: if a employee finds it hard to keep working due to stress, we don’t focus on what he no longer can do but on what he still can do and how he does it and how he has managed to cope effectively with stress in the past.

Scales: visualizing progress

The coach asks the coachee to imagine a scale from 0 to 10. The 10 stands for the situation in which the coachee has fully achieved his goals; the 0 stands for the situation in which the problem happens at its worst. The coach asks the coachee where s/he is now on that scale and what this point at the scales means to him/her. Next, the coach asks the client what the situation would look like on the next step of the scale. The focus is on visualizing things being a little better. Step by step progress is being made. Taking small steps is essential. Small steps require only minimal effort but their effects can be large because they often unexpectedly start off a chain of positive events.

Compliments: pointers of resources

A solution-focused coach frequently compliments the coachee, both directly and indirectly. A direct compliment might be: `I think you handled that fantastically!` An example of an indirect compliment is: ´how did you manage to accomplish such a difficult task?´ Indirect compliments are as it were invitations to the client to compliment himself on what he has achieved, knowing this will help the client to be even more successful in dealing with the problem. Compliments are pointers of resources and solutions. They are intended to point to the fact that the coachee has handled a challenging situation well and they help coach and coachee to explore such as situation further. Thus they help the coachee identify what works.

Respect and collaboration

Solution-focused coaching is highly respectful and collaborative. The coachee directs the process. The coachee´s perspective, beliefs and goals are fully respected and acknowledged in the coaching process. The coach doesn’t try to change the client but uses the beliefs and goals that the client views as helpful. The approach is non-confrontational and non-judgmental. The coach is really curious and interested in the in the solutions of the coachee and truly not-knowing what is best for some one else. When a coachee is no longer communicating cooperatively, the coach does not see this as resistance to change. Rather, he uses this as a signal that his interventions are in some way ineffective and that he must adjust to the coachee´s perspective again.

Brief; not a primary goal, but a nice side-effect

Solution-focused coaching can often be brief. One reason for this is that the coaching is very much focused on achieving specific goals. A second reason is that most clients pick up this simple (but not easy) way of dealing with problems quite fast. Having dealt with one problem, lots of clients are able to deal with other problems by approaching them the same way. Solution focused-coaching is gaining popularity rapidly and for a good reason: it works!