What Everyone Ought to Know About Solutions Focus Coaching

July 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Solutions Focus (SF) is an exciting and complete approach to change. It developed from the brilliantly simple ‘brief therapy’ work of Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg.  It is now used by major businesses, coaches and consultants as their chosen approach to deliver respectful and lasting change quickly.

Mark McKergow & Paul Z. Jackson first presented the SF approach as a model of management and change in their book, “The Solutions Focus: Making Coaching and Change SIMPLE”.

The following are central characteristics of solution-focussed approaches and the key principles underpinning Solutions Focus Coaching.

*  Working to the coachee’s agenda.  Coaching helps the coachee focus on the change they want to do something about;

*  Focus on solutions not problems.  In SF, focussing on the “solution” means focussing on what the coachee wants rather than on what they don’t want.   The coach helps the coachee develop a clear picture of success rather than trying to understand and analyse causes of the problem;

*  Future-orientation.  The emphasis is on the future (what the coachee wants) rather than present or past;

*  Finding what’s working.  An SF coach will help the coachee identify all those things that are already in place or are working already that are helping them move in the direction they want to go;

*  Highlighting resources.  Coaching helps the coachee recognise the existing knowledge, skills and abilities that will help them make progress;

*  Affirming.  The coach designs and conducts the process in a way that recognises and reinforces  the positive skills, qualities and achievements of the coachee;

*  Practical focus on immediate action and small steps.  There is a fundamental assumption that change can happen in a short period of time and that small steps can make a big difference;

*  Recognition that every person is different.  The coach designs the coaching intervention specifically for each coachee.

SF coaching delivers several benefits for both the coach and the coachee.  Focussing on achievements and progress empowers and motivates the coachee.  Positive questions lead to an excellent relationship between coach and coachee; incisive focus on what works leads to rapid and sustainable results and emphasis on what is working encourages shared wisdom throughout the organization.

 

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Case Study: How a Coaching Style of Leadership Can Help Employees Take Ownership & Responsibility

July 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Earlier this year, Coaching at Work Magazine featured a programme I am working on as a case study in an article they called “The Ripple Effect”.  If you are a subscriber, you can read the full article here.

Or read on to learn more.

In 2008, Mark McKergow, the Director of sfwork, invited me to be the Programme Director for a‘Solutions Focus Coaching for Leaders’ programme for Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP).

AWP recognised that a key role of senior leaders is to support and develop levels of management and leadership at all levels.  So they wanted a programme that would help these leaders adopt a coaching style of leadership with their staff.

I have been privileged to deliver the programme for eleven groups of managers, with the twelfth group now underway.

The programme uses the Solutions Focus (SF) coaching model, OSKAR – a valuable way to introduce coaching to groups of managers as it provides them with a set of tools they can use rather than a prescribed process.  This gives them the flexibility to use the tools in many different circumstances and in short periods of time rather than waiting for an illusory serious coaching session which never arrives.

The programme consists of a two-day “Solutions Focus Coaching for Leaders” workshop to introduce managers to the OSKAR model.  After the workshop the managers begin using coaching in their roles, coming back together for two review workshops to discuss how the tools and techniques can be applied to specific management challenges such as managing performance, developing teams etc.  They also receive six months of individual support from an external coach to facilitate their own personal development.

Managers have benefited considerably.  They spend less time talking about problems and why “it’s not fair”.  Instead they use their new-found coaching skills to get others to think for themselves and to recognise the skills and knowledge they have to move forward.  There has been an observable decrease in anxiety and a noticeable positive impact on ability and action, a can-do attitude.  There has been clear recognition that small steps help create progress.

Managers found they started to use the skills on themselves in a form of self coaching so they too find their own solutions to problems with positive results.  All of these developments have helped increase their confidence and helped them feel more in control.  This led them to feel less stressed and be more efficient and effective

As more managers complete the programme they have seen the positive effects rippling through the organisation.  These include:

  • Less negativity.
  • A more positive culture
  • Team members empowered and energised, giving everyone more time.
  • Staff becoming more self-reliant and less dependent
  • People feeling more positive and enjoying work therefore being more proactive
  • Greater progress being made.  Things moving forward
  • Improved relationships
  • More frequent celebration of progress
  • More action, less discussion

AWP, like most organisations, is going through tough and challenging times.  Solutions Focus coaching isn’t a silver bullet but it’s helping them make progress in tough situations and has given leaders a set of tools to help them when they’re stuck.  You can find out more about the principles behind Solutions Focus Coaching here.

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The Power of Publicly Committing to Your Goals

January 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A key leadership skill is the ability to commit to personal and business goals.  We are now well into the third week of January and those of us who like to set goals for the calendar year will have them well defined and established.

So let me tell you about one of mine.

On 22 April 2012 I will be running the Virgin London Marathon to raise money for The PSP Association.

PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) is a devastating brain condition that my father suffered from in the later years of his life. He passed away in January 2010.  If you’re interested, information about the charity and why I’m running for them is available on my justgiving page at http://www.justgiving.com/Antoinette-Oglethorpe.

But I am NOT writing this to ask for sponsorship.

It goes without saying that I’m keen to raise awareness of The PSP Association and get as much money for them as I can so if you are moved by the work they do and wish to make a donation in support, please do.  But I’m not actually writing this to ask for money.  Thanks to the generosity of family and friends I have already raised my fundraising target of £2012.

Now, all I have to do is run the 26.2 miles.

I am a regular runner and have run a number of 10K and half-marathon races since I took up running 15 years ago.  But this will be my first (and probably last) marathon.  And quite frankly, the distance is daunting.

As a leadership coach and facilitator I am well aware of the power of public commitment to inspire the action needed to achieve challenging goals.

Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion makes the point that individuals are driven to act consistently with their previous commitments in order to stay true to their concepts of themselves.  His research also shows that someone who actively makes a commitment (rather than just passively agreeing to a request) is more likely to act in accordance with that commitment.  And public commitments tend to be more effective than private commitments.

So, with all that in mind, I thought I’d practice what I preach.  I have already committed to running the London Marathon on 22 April 2012.  This is my public commitment that I will lace up my trainers, hit the road or the treadmill and follow my training plan in spite of the cold, wet, dark mornings.  Please wish me well.

What goal will you publicly commit to this year?

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3 myths you need to dispel to take control of your career in 2012

January 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

career management consultants

Career Management Consultants discuss myths…

As we enter 2012, the new year brings new resolutions and the promise of “New Year, New You”.  Some, like me, will be embarking on a fitness plan, suddenly conscious that the marathon I signed up to 8 months ago is now only 16 weeks away.  Others will be embarking on a detox to recover from the excesses of the festive season.  And yet more will be determined that this is the year they will take control of their careers.

If you are one of this latter group you may also be among the many who hold a number of assumptions with regards to managing your career.  Here are 3 such myths that career management consultants agree you need to dispel if you are going to take control of your career this year:

Myth No 1. Career progression requires a formal career path.

The promise of a formal career path often attracts people to organisations.  It brings a sense of predictability and comfort, giving people a false sense that their career will take a certain course.  In reality, organisations and careers have to be much more fluid.  Markets, strategies and organisational structures always change over time, and that alters the types of roles that need to be carried out and creates opportunities that previously were not available or even considered. This is especially true in the dynamic times we live in.

So, instead of developing a formal career path, your strategy should be to learn all you can while in your current role and always be open to opportunities that allow you to do what you want to do. Retaining the services of career management consultants can also help you focus your efforts.

Truth No 1. You can’t fully plan a successful career – so be clear on what direction you want to go in and always be open to opportunities to help you get there.

Myth No 2. Career progression means an elevated title and a higher salary.

The answer to career progression does not lie in an elevated title or a higher salary.  Those are not bad things but they are not the only definition of success.

Being in control of your career means different things to different people.  It isn’t just thinking about your next step up the ladder.  For some people it’s about finding a way to continue learning.  For others it’s about achieving recognition.  For some it’s about moving into a job or taking on responsibilities that are more interesting and fulfilling.  It’s about being stretched.

Truth No 2: Career progression means different things to different people – you need to decide what it means to you

Myth No 3: My career is in the hands of my manager and HR

How passive is your career plan?  How much does your future depend on the intervention of others – your boss, your colleagues, HR?  If your strategy is to sit tight, keep your head down and work hard, that might just work.  Opportunities for growth, development, and variety may just come along.  On the other hand, you’re not doing much to improve the odds.

The passive model is the one we inherited from a time when employers did your career thinking for you: organised your training, planned your promotion steps, looked after your interests.

That time no longer exists.

In today’s ever-changing organisations you need to take ownership for your own career and take responsibility for actively pursuing your aspirations with support from your manager, HR and Career Management Consultants where necessary.

Truth No 3. You are the driver of your career

So, make 2012 the year you take control of your career. Even times of economic uncertainty can present opportunities for growth and development if you see them that way.

Take control of your career, the use of Career Management Consultants will increase your chances of success.

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Six Steps to Help Your Employees Take Ownership and Responsibility

August 27, 2010 By 2 Comments

Managing performanceAre you being asked to achieve more and more with less and less?

Are you under pressure to meet hard to achieve goals and targets?

Do you have a queue of employees at your office door wanting you to solve their problems for them and adding to your ever-increasing to-do list?

In today’s business environment, productivity is king, stretching objectives and targets are routine and managers continually need to do more and more with less and less. At times such as these, you need all employees to take full ownership and responsibility for themselves and their actions. You need every single employee to be working towards delivering the vision for the organization.
These six steps will help your employees become more self-reliant and productive, more energetic and enthusiastic and more willing to commit themselves to achieving personal and business objectives.

1.  Don’t take the monkey
We all experience the “monkey on our back” at work, in other words a serious problem that won’t go away. Employees often think that, because managers and leaders are more senior (and more highly paid), it is their responsibility to solve problems and make decisions. So they arrive at your office door all ready to give you the monkeys on their backs too. For leaders there is the strong temptation to help their employees by taking on their problems and solving them for them. But taking their monkeys is nothing more than rescuing them. Instead, invest the little extra time to help them take the initiative and tackle the issue themselves.

2.  Reduce the noise
When employees come to their managers with a problem, it is often accompanied by a lot of “noise”. A bit like a poorly tuned radio station, the actual issue is confused by a lot of interference from other issues, other people and other emotions. One of the most helpful things you can do at that point is to help your employee focus on that area that they are able and willing to influence and is likely to have the biggest impact on the situation.

3.  Be solutions-focussed in your approach
There is nothing to be gained in analysing what’s wrong, why it’s wrong, who’s to blame and all the things that are going to get in the way of making things better. All that will do is demoralise and drain energy at exactly the time when the opposite is needed. A much more efficient and effective approach is to help your employee to think through what they want instead of the problem or situation as it is. What would be the small and visible signs that the problem is being addressed and that progress is being made?

4.  Identify what is already working
However bad the situation might seem at the time, when your employee has really thought through how they would like things to be instead, they are likely to see that there are some things, however small, that are already working in their favour. Helping them think through all those things that they have already done to move things forward, what they already know about how to solve the problem and who else is available to help will build their confidence and encourage them to take action.

5.  Express confidence in their ability
Take this opportunity to let your employee know what strengths, skills and positive qualities you see in them that will help them solve this problem for themselves. Recognising and naming these useful qualities helps to build their self-belief, as well as enhancing your relationship with them.

6.  Identify small next steps
All your employee needs at this time is small next steps that will allow them to start making progress. They came to you because they were stuck. By them identifying small actions they can take now, they will become unstuck. If these actions are built on what is already working the employee will usually be very motivated to try them out and they are likely to be very effective.

If you can have these kinds of conversations with all of your direct reports, you have the key to unlocking the capacity of every individual in your team and each person taking personal ownership and accountability for carrying out their role and delivering the vision of the organisation.

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