7. Solution Focused:
Asking the right Questions
- Steve De Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg et al.
- “All of the Facts belong only to the
Problem, not to its Solution”
(Ludwig Wittgenstein)
Asking for Solutions is
more efficient than
digging in Problem analysis
8. 1
2. Experience
How? the difference
3. Find path to
solution, backwards
The
Goal
The
Client Problem
1. Move to the solution State
11. Where in Agile?
Team Coaching
1-to-1 Coaching
Meetings
It’s an attitude when asking questions!
12. Retrospectives
1. Set the stage
2. Envision a solution
3. Find the differences
4. Define the steps needed
(and action items!)
5. Close the Retrospective
13. Planning
Imagine...
- Our customer is delighted with our next delivery:
what does he like most in it?
- We have delivered a product that brings us ahead of
the competition: what have we done differently?
15. Coaching Solution Focused
- Define the goal - Elicit new options and
- Ask, don’t suggest past resources
- Don’t judge the - Focus on possible
negative solutions
- Appreciate the - Wait as much as needed!
positive
17. Systemic - What would be
Questions different?
- What resources did
you use?
Suppose you - How would you
have achieved recognise it?
your goal...
18. Systemic Questions
Find the difference that
makes the difference
and ask about it!
19. Why not why?
- Use the question “why”
sparingly
- Elicits values
- Promotes problem analysis
- Rationalises the irrational
- Stabilises the status quo
21. Circular
Questions
- How would X do it?
- How would X notice it?
- What would X say?
22. Your turn...
- Organise in pairs:
Coach and Client
- Client wants to solve a
problem
- Coach asks Systemic
and Circular Questions
- Feedback
- Exchange roles, repeat
Feedback:
- Coach ➠ Client: % in Solution State
- Client ➠ Coach: Non Solution-Focused questions
23. Scales 10
Goal
Steps to
Solution
5
Now
Past
Resources
1
24. Miracles
- Imagine... a totally normal evening
- Sleep normally
- A miracle happens and the problem you had is gone
- But you don’t know that, because you were sleeping
- You wake up in the morning: how would you
recognise the problem is gone? How would the
others react?
25. Interviews
- I [the coach] am a journalist of the
[newspaper, magazine, TV, radio,
internet news...]
- I’m here to interview you [the
Client] because you have solved
brilliantly the problem X
- All our listeners/viewers/readers/...
want to know how you did it
- What was the last step to it?
- What was the step before the last?
- What was/is different since you
achieved your goal?
26. Your turn...
- Organise in pairs:
Coach and Client
- Client wants to solve a
problem
- Coach asks using all
techniques
- Feedback
- Exchange roles, repeat
Feedback:
- Coach ➠ Client: % in Solution State
- Client ➠ Coach: Non Solution-Focused questions
27. Imagine...
- Back to the office, you have
used successfully these
techniques
- What did you do differently?
- Where did you apply them?
- How did your colleagues
notice you are now mastering
these techniques?