Brief Solution Focused Techniques for Mentoring Mentoring CPD & Supervision

What is S.F.T Solution Focused means –Brief intervention –Focuses on solution, not the problem –Works with mentee’s reality of their situation –Draws on the mentee’s past strategies for solving problems, elicited through reflecting on ‘exceptions’ – success when they have acted differently.

How it works Identify goals –Specific –Realistic –Achievable –Elicited by the ‘Miracle Question’ Look for ‘exceptions’ –Identify times when a mentee has used different approaches and these have been successful. Scaling Questions –How bad is a situation on a scale of 1-10 and what needs to change to alter the rating

Structuring a Session O.S.K.A.R –This provides a method to evaluate what a mentee wants and does not want, whilst evaluating the skills and resources they require Outcomes – Goal identifications, refining using Miracle Questions Scaling – Rating the mentee’s view Know- how and resources – using exceptions Affirmation & Action – using exceptions Review

Useful Tools Reflection –Pre-session – identify exceptions –Between session – what was useful –In session – scaling What Else? –What will be different between 5 & 6? What else?... What else?... What else? I don’t know –Imaging you did know…. –Who would know? What would they advise/ suggest

Continued You freeze up - remember GEMS –Goals –Exceptions –Miracle Questions –Scaling Pitfalls –Don’t be too solution focused Don’t push if a mentee is not ready to find a solution Thing of other options, solutions or techniques –Don’t be problem phobic People may need to tell their story –Pollyanna Syndrome Don’t be too positive, it may seem disingenuous –Badly formed goals

Exercise One Mentee –Identify a problem and work with your mentor to solve that problem Mentor – Use O.S.K.A.R to work with your mentee. So you will: Goal set and explore the situation with Miracle Question (Outcomes) Reflect on the situation and possible change (Scaling) Use exceptions. Explore situations when mentee has solved a problem (Know how and Resources) Later we will discuss ‘Affirmation and Action’ and ‘Review’