John Brooker Annie Bordeleau Introduction A passionate group of solution-focused organisational practitioners came together for a two-day Unconference on how the Solution Focus (SF) approach could help create truly sustainable organisations. A powerful theme emerged: the need to make sustainability achievable for individuals and teams, empowering them to take meaningful action and providing hope that their efforts can make a real difference — whether within their organisation, networks, or society at large.
Annette Gray Synopsis Annette Gray and Paut Struik’s session on the Mindsetter Game at the Unconference was designed as a dynamic and engaging way to introduce and apply solution-focused (SF) thinking in the context of sustainability. They chose to use the Mindsetter Game to facilitate discussions on how SF practitioners can integrate strategies for sustainable organisational practices. They drew particularly on Annette’s experiences in Antarctica to provide real-world examples of environmental sustainability. The Mindsetter Game, developed initially by Gesa Doringer, serves as both a teaching tool and a therapeutic intervention, promoting solution-focused approaches in various settings. In this session, Annette and Paut used the game to open discussions around the core principles of SF, such as identifying what is already working, envisioning desired changes, and understanding the concept of “leading from one step behind” within diverse professional environments. This interactive format encourages participants to reflect collaboratively on these tenets, fostering a deeper understanding and application of SF principles.
Andrew Gibson Synopsis The “Best Year Ever” process is a structured Solution Focus (SF) workshop methodology designed to help teams and organisations develop actionable improvement plans, thereby fostering sustainability. This method utilises the SF Numberless Scaling technique, which encourages participants to envision celebrating their most successful year as if it had already happened, then looking to see how much of this is happening now or has happened recently, and then to work out their next small steps in the form of an Action Plan.
Andrew Gibson Synopsis Andrew Gibson’s open space session delved into innovative methods for integrating solution-focused approaches discreetly within various organisational contexts. Participants shared various strategies tailored to subtly foster positive change without overtly disrupting existing structures or workflows.
For example, Roy introduced the concept of “Guerrilla solution-focused practice,” which involves being solution-focused in meetings even if one is the only proponent of such methodologies. This approach includes thinking aloud in a solution-focused manner and maintaining a structured review process in meetings to ensure constructive outcomes. Similarly, Wendy’s input revolved around identifying existing signs of solution-focused practice and amplifying them. Her tactics, such as asking “What do you want instead?” when facing complaints, aimed to shift conversations from problem-centric to solution-oriented.
Wendy Van den Bulck Synopsis The game, ‘The Power of 5’ consists of a playground and reflection questions. We have based it on working interactions in nature, more specifically on five core elements of natural horse behaviour and how they can help human interactions become more sustainable on the different levels of interaction:
Intrapersonal (interaction within team ‘Me, Myself & I’) Interpersonal (interaction between individuals) Intragroup (interaction within teams, associations, groups, …) Intergroup (interaction between teams, associations, groups, …) Using “The Power of 5” tool within networks and ecosystems can significantly contribute to creating more sustainable organisations and societies. Let’s explore how we can apply each of the core elements within this context: Keep Your Attention 360 Degrees: