1. Solution Focused Listening
Rayya Ghul
2017

2. Skills to be solution focused
Listening for strengths and resources
Being able to feed back those strengths and resources in an ‘evidence based’ way
Avoid getting sucked into long discussions about problems
Building solutions through asking solution focused questions
These are not easy! This is what makes solution focus difficult even though the process is quite simple.
They are going to be practicing listening in this very specific way.
They will learn how to use this to formulate feedback which is based on the evidence provided through the conversation (more of this later)
They will be encouraged to stick to the few questions and to notice how they get drawn into problem-talk – how seductive it is
Solution building is hard and they may not grasp this today – never mind. It’s more important that they learn to listen and feedback today.

3. Who Are You? Spend some time chatting to your neighbour
Ask about their hobbies and interests (not work!)
Ask them ‘how do you do that?’
Keep the conversation going with ‘what else?’
Listen hard for their strengths and qualities
Create some ‘evidence based’ compliments for your partner
Be curious…
First exercise:
They should do this in pairs, first one way and then swap over. Set it up like this:
Get into pairs, A and B. A will be asking B questions about their hobbies and interests. A’s job is to listen out for B’s strengths and qualities – they can take notes as they go along if they want. The most important thing is to try to keep asking ‘how do you DO that?’ and keep the conversation going on that tack, continuing to focus on how B does what they do. Try to keep it conversational, not forced, be genuinely curious!! Facilitator will then stop the conversation after 5 minutes and give A time to formulate some evidence-based feedback. This means that they will tell their partner something they were impressed by or noticed and point to what they said as evidence. E.g. ‘you talked about how you have to plan your materials before you start doing … and that suggests to me that you have good planning and organisational skills’. Once they have done this they should give the feedback to their partner.
Then swap over and do it the other way round.
After they’ve both done it have a discussion about what they noticed about how much they found out. Also ask what it felt like to be questioned, listened to and given feedback in this way (this links to assignment). Can they see how it relates to OT?

4. Problems are like whirlpools
They suck you in

5. Working with Complaints
Sometimes when people are meeting with you they feel the need to complain
The listener generally wants to either avoid getting involved or to get stuck in to solving the problem.
Instead Solution focus sees everything as an opportunity to learn about something that can help to build a solution.

6. End Klager, klager, klager…
People in pairs – A & B A = complainer B = listener
Instruction for A: you have to complain to B about something that really annoys you. You have to keep complaining for 3 minutes, don’t stop, just keep going
Instruction for B: you have to listen to A without saying anything. You may only nod your head. As you are listening to A I want you to think about what qualities and strengths A has simply from listening to them complain.
At the end of the 3 minutes B spends a little time formulating some compliments for A based on what they have heard and delivers these to A.
OK this is done the same way as the previous exercise. You have to emphasise the need to say nothing at all if you are the listened and the need to keep going for 3 minutes if you are the moaner. Time it to the second.
This exercise often uncovers far more about the person than the previous one – usually about a person’s values and what’s important to them.
Again – ask what it felt like and how it might relate to OT
End

7. Who makes your heart sink?
Spend a few minutes describing your most difficult client to your partner.
4 minutes

8. Thinking Differently about … People
Problem Focused
Solution Focused
Individualised view
People are the site and source of the problem
People are flawed, damaged or weak
People need help, guidance, care and protection
There is an ideal person who we should try to become
Systemic/Interactional view
People and their contexts are interlinked and interdependent
People are talented and resourceful
People are experts in their own lives
You are who you are right now and tomorrow you’ll be different

9. Creating new descriptions
Now redescribe your client as someone who is doing their best.
What strengths and resources can you identify?
What does this new story feel like? Does it give you any clues about what you might be able to do with this person?