The focus on solutions can be described as a radical new approach to working with people to overcome their everyday difficulties and deal with the problems that arise. This method was developed in the 1980s at BFTC, Milwaukee, USA. Its co-authors are Steve de Srazer & Insoo Kim Berg.
In the beginning, the Solution Focused approach was applied in a clinical context, but through its practicality and simple psychological principles, it quickly developed as an extremely valuable tool for both mental health work and for achieving successful and effective organizational change.
Most often, through a Solutions Focused approach, we work with clients to develop opportunities for the future. We use people's skills and abilities and build guidelines to achieve the identified changes and desired goals.
In practicing this approach, we follow simple, workable rules:
- If something works, use it
- If something doesn't work, do something else
- If something isn't broken, don't touch it
Difficult situations happen, and we believe that everyone can cope with the problems they cause. People sometimes follow ready-made problem-solving models that turn out to be ineffective. Then help or support and assistance is needed to find other workable options. And we apply solution-focused, practical principles to get the results we want.
We prefer to work with clients' sometimes vague ideas about the future and avoid analyzing the problems of the past. We look for concrete details that help in each specific situation instead of dwelling on theoretical formulations.
The solution-focused approach is proving to be a very good tool to support employers. It helps to improve teamwork to a greater extent, conflict situations are easier to overcome and employees are more motivated. That's why in our work we work hard to:
- Building appropriate and workable goals
- Developing trust and cooperation
- Awareness of own contribution in different activities
- Steps to follow and track progress
- Increasing belief in success
And yet, through our Solutions Focused approach, we strive to help individuals and groups, to be helpful to teams and organizations, and we believe that everyone can find hundreds of ways to become happier.