02 Feb SOLUTION FOCUS in 400 words
By Fania Pallikarakis
When I sat down to write this article for protagon.gr I asked myself, how could I explain what Solution Focus is, in only 400 words? Can it be described so briefly? I kept stopping and starting.
And then I realised. I didn’t have to explain what it is. We all already know. We just don’t know that we know. We all solution-‐focus, we just don’t know that we do. You do also. You just don’t know it.
You solution-focus whenever you say “Aha! How come I hadn’t thought of that earlier?”; every moment you can see things clearly and spot the light at the end of the tunnel; every time you believe you can change things and you fight for it.
You solution‐focus whenever you stop ruminating about the past; whenever instead of whining or crying over what has already happened, you are able to look straight ahead and decide what it is that you want to happen in the future; whenever you talk about tomorrow but it’s not just empty talk. It’s whenever you assess a situation and try to see how your life will change if you get what (you think) you want; whenever you focus, plan your steps, talk with those around you; whenever you listen, you learn, you try. It’s whenever you discover what would help you; whenever you stop repeating the same futile things that have brought you no result and start looking for new ways.
In a nutshell, Solution Focus is just what its name suggests. It’s a way to focus on the solution. To discover it, to create it, and to attain it. It’s the easy way to the “Aha” moment. And it’s as crucial for the mind as the senses are for the body. How? It’s simple. Through dialogue with a specially-trained professional. By having a conversation that will show you how to guide your mind in the direction you want, so that it can be on your side and not against you; so that you are able to gather your thoughts before they slip into problem‐thinking and start going round in circles. You solution-focus by answering questions, creating questions, answering these new questions with new answers.
Solution Focus is a “style-of-mind” that you can turn into a habit. You can learn to generate these moments of insight more frequently . You can learn to shortcut to the solution and take things in the direction you want to.
Solution Focus is about finding your personal way to change. Even if it seems bizarre. It might be; even better. It’s about discovering the devil in the detail. It’s about realising that you can change more than you think; even today.
Why is it difficult to explain, even though it’s so simple? As Steve Jobs has put it: “Simple can be harder than complex”.
About the author
A former Arts Manager, I see Solution Focused Coaching as the natural progression of my professional development; a flexible tool to increase mind creativity, question the already-known and challenge one’s potential. A Greek born in Belgium and constantly moving among cities, I love working with people from across the world.