A Simple Change with Real Impact
Solution Focus Coaching encourages you to focus on what is already working and on the small steps that lead to meaningful change. Instead of becoming lost in analysing problems, you learn to take action now and create new possibilities. Real change can begin with one simple question: “What comes next?”
Article written by: Janine Waldman & Paul Z Jackson
A Simple Change with Real Impact can begin with a “threshold concept” – an essential idea capable of transforming the way we understand a subject. Some ideas are vital to integrate, yet because they challenge our intuition, they can be surprisingly difficult to embrace. For someone learning the Solution Focus approach, the first step is simply this: the problem and the solution may have no logical connection.
Reflecting on threshold concepts in Solution Focus, here is another idea that may surprise you:
The most effective changes happen within the interactions between people, systems, or elements – not only within our minds.
When we face challenges or desires, our natural tendency is often to go deeply into our mental processes: analysing, diagnosing, and reflecting. We may also make many assumptions about the thoughts and feelings of others.
Beyond these mental processes, we want to see change expressed through action – in the space of interaction between ourselves and the world around us.
What Does This Look Like in Practice?
Example 1: You want to start exercising, but you are struggling to begin. One approach would be to ask yourself whether—or why—you are lazy or not motivated enough. You might recall past failures, assign yourself certain personality traits, or even blame childhood experiences. But this kind of mental exploration does not guarantee that you will actually start moving. What if, instead, you placed your running shoes by the door or laid out your workout clothes the night before? This simple action in the external world shifts your attention away from the unproductive maze of “Why?” or “Why not?” and towards the action-oriented territory of “What comes next?”
Example 2: Consider a workplace situation. A team member consistently submits reports late. Instead of labelling them as “disorganised” and trying to decipher their mindset, you could focus on adjusting the interactional setup: creating shared deadlines in a visible calendar, sending reminder emails, or initiating conversations that highlight the positive impact of being on time. These adjustments often lead to faster and more effective results than analysing the reasons behind a colleague’s delays.
Crossing this threshold – from inner rumination to action – requires letting go of the need to solve problems mentally before taking action. This does not mean that thinking is useless; rather, it redirects our attention towards a more practical arena, guided by one question: “What small, tangible step can we take right now?”
The Solution Focus Approach
Solution Focus Coaching encourages you to focus on what is already working and on the small steps that lead to meaningful change. Instead of becoming lost in analysing problems, you learn to take action now and create new possibilities. Real change can begin with one simple question: “What comes next?”
Shifting attention from mental processes to interaction can be challenging, especially in a culture that often equates understanding a problem with solving it. But here is the key: you do not need to resolve everything in your mind for change to happen. You simply need to interact differently.
So, is this threshold worth crossing? If you are drawn to the elegance of creating change through small, visible steps and seeing how these actions expand into broader change, then yes – it is worth leaving “Why?” behind and stepping into “What comes next?” The door to change is already open; decisive action is simply one step across the threshold.
How does this shift in perspective feel to you?
In a world accustomed to dissecting problems before solving them, Solution Focus Coaching offers a different perspective: change does not require a complete understanding of the causes, but a new way of interacting with reality. Instead of analysing in depth why things are the way they are, we explore what is already working and what comes next. Small, visible shifts in behaviour and perspective can create wider waves of change without complicated efforts or prolonged introspection. By stepping across this threshold, you enter a space where progress is built through simple, solution-focused questions and concrete actions that open the door to new possibilities. Change is already in motion – the first step is to notice it and follow it.
About the Authors
Janine Waldman is a coach, facilitator, organisational development consultant, and author with three decades of experience. She designs and leads learning, development, and change initiatives that deliver transformative results. After holding senior roles in human resource development in both the UK and New Zealand, she became a partner at The Solutions Focus UK in 2002. Passionate about creating sustainable change, Janine is co-author of Positively Speaking: The Art of Constructive Conversations with a Solutions Focus, The Resilience Pocketbook, and The Executive Guide to Engagement, Resilience, and Performance.
Paul Z Jackson is an inspirational consultant, designer, facilitator, and coach. With a background in journalism, experience as a senior producer at BBC Radio, and as founder of the improvisation group More Fool Us, he brings humour and drama to his training sessions and presentations, engaging audiences at conferences and seminars. He is the author or co-author of seven books, including the classic and groundbreaking The Solutions Focus – Making Coaching & Change SIMPLE, which was ranked among the top 30 business books of the year in the United States.
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