Photo Inquiry Friday The team is stuck?
“Stuckness” is incredibly common amongst teams. It may come from a myriad of problems and knowing the problem does not necessarily give us a solution.
Using SOLVED to Make Meetings Better
Solution-Focused – executive, management and team coaching is all about pragmatic applications.
In preparation for a kick-off meeting, beginning almost 24 months of work, with a new organization I used the SOLVED method to determine how to make the meeting better.
19 Coaching Questions When the person does not want coaching
Sometimes coaching is forced on an employee by their manager because they are having a tough time with a new position or their existing manager just does not know what to-do, and many other reasons.
Okay, when that happens what do you do as an executive coach?
Team Building Activity Distinctive Working Well 100 Days Better
People get into small groups of 3 to 5 and determine what is working well with their team and what they would like to be better in 100 days. Phrasing the activity in ‘present into the future’ allows the team to create solutions and small steps for improvement.
Where are the deeper questions?
We think that “deep” responses come from “deep” questions, not true. Responses can be at the proper depth that the person answering the question feels is necessary, it has very little to do with the question.
Begin With The End in Mind or With The Problem in Mind
Most meetings begin with the problem in mind. Then we discuss the problem, what caused the problem, if the problem we identified is really the problem, and then comes the need to blame someone for the problem.
SOLVED Solution-Focused
The value in this method is that by focusing on what you want the solution to be as opposed to focusing on the problem, your energy and focus can be put into developing action steps towards the solution. The problem is known and acknowledged AND the solution is found in examining what you know, what resources you have and need in order to solve your problems in your context and in learning how to continually improve.
The Solution is Not Necessarily Related to the Problem
Acknowledging the problem AND developing a shared understanding of the goal to be achieved. Then working backward to accomplish this goal by carefully and pragmatically searching through the organization, team and / or persons real-life and work experience to identify exceptions of when the solution is already happening or could possibly happen in the future.
What are you doing that is working well?
What are you already doing that is working well?
Within Work Nothing Happens All The Time There Are Exceptions
It has happened to all of us, someone at work (your manager, coworker, subordinate, peer, vendor, customer, etc…) pisses you off and you go off an angry tirade about how resistant and uncooperative they are.
On and on and on.
While these statements may be true, they are not really useful in creating any solutions and changes to getting your work done.