SOL Unconference 2024

John Brooker & Annie Bordeleau & Bodil Mickels

Introduced by Bodil Mickels

Reflections on the Sustainability Unconference

How can a solution-focused approach help create sustainable organisations? This was the theme at the SOLWorld “Unconference” sponsored by SFiO, in Land aan Zee, Netherlands, in mid-April 2024. 34 solution-focused coaches, organisational consultants, trainers and sustainability researchers, were present, representatives of public and local administrations, academia, private companies, and the third sector, making it a truly diverse and enriching experience. They joined from Europe, Australia and Canada, to ponder the theme question in a nature-rich environment. The forces of weather also participated in the experience, offering both sunshine and warmth, as well as torrential rain, thunder, and storms.

The ‘Unconference’ programme is a collaborative effort created by the participants. The work is primarily done in ‘open space’ discussion forums, as proposed by the participants. This inclusive approach fostered particularly interesting discussions where solution-focused experts met with sustainability researchers and professionals. The focus was on finding a common language and way of working across theoretical frameworks and different practices, and above all: “How do we learn to listen to each other and build future sustainable organisations together?”

The discussions started with a quest for a balance between social responsibility, environmental protection, and economic viability. The potential of a solution-focused approach to contribute to the sustainable development of our society, both in discussion and practical measures, was a key focus. The group’s discussions strongly reflected the topics of a future orientation, ‘one small step’ thinking, creating a common language, and sparking and maintaining hope.

Many solution-focused methods offer excellent ideas to facilitate and create space for various events, training, and meetings considering sustainable development. However, this approach is not just about methods; it is a way of thinking, which strongly includes the skill of sufficiently listening to a variety of thoughts and languages when discussing sustainable organisations. It is, therefore, essential to honestly believe in people’s agency and ability to find solutions, listen appreciatively to different perspectives, and together create support networks of social responsibility. Thus, ‘solution-focused’ rather than ‘solution-forced’ comes first, inspiring a new way of approaching sustainability.

SFiO’s team of John Brooker [UK], Annie Bordeleau [Canada], and Marika Tammeaid [Finland] created inspiring and safe frameworks for the discussions.

I fell in love with this Unconference working method even before the COVID-19 pandemic, when SFiO held a first experiment in Belgium. A slightly smaller number of participants and a jointly created programme allows for tailored personal learning and experience. Plans now include more “Unconferences" and continued collaboration between SOL World and SFiO — I highly recommend it!

(The article has been translated from Bodil’s original text in Finnish).

Introduction to the Unconference 2024

Discover the first pages of the Unconference Dossier in the attached PDF, which offer a sneak peek into an exciting series of upcoming articles and why we selected Land aan Zee as a unique venue for the Unconference. Each article, published weekly in SFiO InterAction, will delve into thought-provoking questions about SF and sustainability. You’ll find valuable insights, strategies and tools as we unveil the rich material collected in this dossier. The series will culminate with the release of the complete dossier in PDF format, packed with actionable recommendations for individuals, teams, organisations, networks, and society to create more sustainable organisations using the Solution Focused Approach. Don’t miss out on this journey, exploring how Solution Focus can create more sustainable organisations!