Solutions-Focused Approach to Change
No problem is always all the time
You have been trained to analyse a problem to find a solution. The standard problems solving approach was development for engineering problems. But what if the solution doesn't lie in understanding the problem but in a completely different way of thinking?
The Solutions-Focused approach to change takes the shortest route to a solution in complex business environments which is more about complex people rather than engineering problems.
Problem solving makes sense for engineering when you have simple mechanistic problems that have a cause and effect relationship. If a bridge falls down you need to understand why so the next time you build the bridge it won't fall down. But business and people are not simple cause and effect systems. They are complex adaptive emergent systems.
The usually business process change project involves spending months building complex as-is models with fancy flow charts and 200 page reports to understand the problem. Makes lots of money for the consulting companies, right? Yet how often does the solution that you come up with have nothing to do with the as-is model?
Instead why not focus on the solution that you want and evidence of that solution appearing already. Then do more of what will move you towards the solution and less of what's not working.
Could it really be that simple?
Simple does not always mean easy. Solutions-focused change management has its roots in Solutions-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) an intervention method that handled the most complex cases whether other approaches failed. SFBT's success was based on helping individuals find solutions that worked for them and not trying to fit them into text book approaches that didn't match.
The Solutions-focus approach doesn't give you academic solutions or best practices. Instead it helps you mine the solutions that already exist within your organisation. You want your business to stand out from the crowd so why try the same tired old ill-fitting academic solutions that everyone else has.
Focusing on what you want and how to move towards it is actually a short cut method to business change, improvement and success.
The Solutions-Focused approach can be applied to not only change management and process improvement but also to performance reviews, management, sales, marketing, and more.
Consulting, Training, and Coaching to Find Solutions
Model Thinking can help you with solutions focused workshops, solutions-focused consulting, and training your people as Solutioneers(TM). Contact Model Thinking now for a detailed quote tailored to you and your company's individual needs.
Case Study: Austrade
This government agency had a serious "us vs. them" problem between the business and IT groups. Due to some past project delays and disappointments, the IT Group had a credibility problem with business. The IT Group was attempting to formulate some "quick win" projects to get back on the good side of the business.
A one day workshop was designed for the business users using a combination of solutions-focused and creative problems solving techniques. During the workshop, the business users identify small improvements that were important to them. 15 of these had nothing to do with IT and could be implemented within 1 month.
Business were then able to wait for the IT group to design and deliver quality solutions rather than rushing to delivery quick wins that didn't really address the core problems.