The Solutions Focus. The Simple Way to Positive Change

Citation

Cowburn, J. (2003), "The Solutions Focus. The Simple Way to Positive Change", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 24 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2003.02224cae.002

The Solutions Focus. The Simple Way to Positive Change

The Solutions Focus. The Simple Way to Positive Change

Paul Z. Jackson and Mark McKegowNicholas Brealey Publishing2002208 pp.ISBN 1-85788-270-9 (paperback)£16.99Keywords: Problem solving, Organizational change

The Solutions Focus. The Simple Way to Positive Change is as its title suggests, not just a book, but also an entire approach towards finding solutions rather than problem solving. The authors' aim is to present their breakthrough approach to managing organisational change. This approach is also, as the title again suggests, simple and direct.

The book claims to cover "the theory of no theory" and aims to "go beyond outmoded ideas and replace over-complicated theories with a dynamic, intensely practical approach that provides the positive outcome that organizations crave, along with fresh learning every time". The book, which is almost a manual, takes a seemingly original slant on approaching problematic situations, tailored to address company needs in a simplistic yet effective way. It works on a basic philosophy of identifying what works well within an organisation and then doing more of it. It demonstrates how to achieve required outcomes by focusing upon the desired solution, not the problems.

The book is split into 14 chapters. Each begins with a reminder of the "SIMPLE" principle that is applied throughout this volume:

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  Solutions not problems

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  In-between – the action is the interaction

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  Make use of what's there

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  Possibilities – past, present and future

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  Language – simply said

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  Every case is different

Each chapter then follows a sensible and set format with a brief summary, identifying pitfalls and benefits. The main body of each chapter contains good bulleted examples, sub-headings and more in-depth pitfalls along with excellent and varied real life scenarios where the authors have clearly demonstrated how solution finding can be incorporated. The chapters end with a summary checklist which when read with the real life examples and pitfalls are particularly useful to reinforce the memory, and I suspect will be a good feature to refer back too when implementing the strategy.

Chapter 1 gives a brief overview of the solutions focus, explaining its unconventional nature, in that one will learn to focus on solutions rather than problems by using the fundamental principles of the book and a "set of tools" to apply in ones own setting. Chapter 2 goes on to introduce the "SIMPLE" model (see above) with each of these factors being explained in greater detail in Chapters 3 through 8 with Chapter 9 tying these all together. The remainder of the tome covers actual practical applications and ends with an overview of the way the book was developed.

Although the book is perhaps not quite as groundbreaking as the authors may wish us to believe, (the ideas are rooted from Tales of Solutions by Insoo Kim Berg and Yvonne Dolan) it certainly takes a new stance and is certain to be very widely read. Its layout, presentation and format generally allow it to be relatively easily understood by many and varied readers. Its situational examples are more concrete than abstract and are therefore more easily understood and retained.

Vaguely similar theories for "problem solving" exist, but this book "offers a practical alternative to conventional wisdom" and this claim is indeed justified. In wisdom and philosophy terms the book clearly aims to transform our work and our lives. It is thought provoking and will undoubtedly be useful for managers and practitioners in many circumstances.

Jane CowburnUniversity of Central Lancashire(E-mail: anec@hotmail.com)