Past Successes: Asking the person / team to look into their past and identify successes. These successes may be work related and / or personal. By finding how, when, what happened, the steps that took place, and how they are in the present may help the person / team identify what worked in the past and use that knowledge in the present.
Symptom Prescription: Asking the person / team to purposefully do more of the problem / complaint. This is done in the belief that by doing more of the complaint, purposefully, the person may do or notice something useful or break the pattern they feel they are stuck in.
Working to be observant of times the complaint is not happening. No complaint is extreme at all times. The belief is that you know & may be overlooking or ignoring times when things are working. Exceptions frequently go unnoticed & the situation plus actions that made a difference are overlooked because they seem too small or slow.
Frames and the labels we attach to them dictate what we can see and do: Our point of view determines what happens next.
Direct Task Assignment: A recommendation for the person to complete a specific task and be thoughtful, so they can tell you in detail, what was useful and what change occurred from that task.
My arrogance & continuous belief that we can find, learn & develop a path to make things better AND find acceptance that you are successful in doing what you are doing. Focusing on flaws allows those flaws to take control, losing what makes you great. Building your flaws makes you mediocre & the flaws bigger.
The hope is that when you can focus on the exceptions what is happening when the problem is absent you will identify and strengthen the solution – what you want to have happen.
Once Workable Goals are established by the person who desires the change can trust teamwork and progress happen.
A charismatic and not competent enough leader are always counter-productive in the long term.
Big changes rarely happen instantly. While you are involved in the change your perception is an insider and the change may not even be noticed. This is when a focus on ‘what is working well?’ can be useful.