Opening SF24 2026

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction by Annie Bordeleau

Perhaps it is the way the conversation travels, moving gently across time zones, carried by stories and moments of progress that make the SF24 Conference such a unique event. It is held within a sense of being among friends, companions in a shared endeavour to discover and evolve.

In his opening to this year’s event, Anton Stellamans captures this beautifully. He speaks of Solution Focus as a dear friend, one we return to, speak about, and rediscover time and time again. A generous and humble friend in whose company we find ourselves doing work that is both simple and profound.

Over the coming months, we will be sharing a series of Solution Focus features in organisational contexts, drawn from SF24 stories, reflections and practices. These are invitations to listen, to notice, and find something new and insightful that resonates with your own context.

Anton’s introduction offers a gentle doorway into this series. It reminds us of the spirit of the SF24 conference. We invite you to begin here, take a moment to watch and listen in to see what you notice.

Anton’s introduction offers a gentle doorway into this series. It reminds us of the spirit of the SF24 conference. We invite you to begin here, take a moment to watch and listen, and notice what stands out.

Continue the Conversation

If Anton’s talk sparked your curiosity about the article he mentions, you can explore it here, along with his original introduction.

Anton’s Introduction

Find the article “Have you heard the latest rumour about…? SF therapy as a rumor”

Listen on SoundCloud

SFiO - Solution Focus in Organisations · Anton - Intro 2026 - SF24

Unpacking The Mindsetter Game

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Annette Gray

Synopsis

Annette Gray and Paut Struik’s session on the Mindsetter Game at the Unconference was designed as a dynamic and engaging way to introduce and apply solution-focused (SF) thinking in the context of sustainability. They chose to use the Mindsetter Game to facilitate discussions on how SF practitioners can integrate strategies for sustainable organisational practices. They drew particularly on Annette’s experiences in Antarctica to provide real-world examples of environmental sustainability. The Mindsetter Game, developed initially by Gesa Doringer, serves as both a teaching tool and a therapeutic intervention, promoting solution-focused approaches in various settings.

In this session, Annette and Paut used the game to open discussions around the core principles of SF, such as identifying what is already working, envisioning desired changes, and understanding the concept of “leading from one step behind” within diverse professional environments. This interactive format encourages participants to reflect collaboratively on these tenets, fostering a deeper understanding and application of SF principles.

Annette and Paut focused on demonstrating how SF approaches can contribute to the sustainability of organisations across three critical areas: economic value, social impact, and environmental responsibility.

Using the game to facilitate discussion and reflection, they aimed to show that sustainability initiatives, when approached through a solution-focused lens, can lead to innovative solutions that align with organisational goals while enhancing economic and social value.

The session concluded with participants identifying actionable steps towards sustainability, tailored to their specific contexts, thereby illustrating the game’s effectiveness in generating practical outcomes. The feedback highlighted the game’s flexibility and the enriching, deep conversations it spurred, proving it is a valuable method for introducing and exploring SF in various settings, including sustainability-focused discussions.

Antarctica and the Mindsetter Game

In November 2023 I went to Antarctica on a 19-day voyage with 88 other women and non-binary people from STEMM backgrounds, with Homeward Bound Projects leadership initiative. This was the last part of a year long leadership program focused on developing women in leadership, visibility, wellbeing and the ability to have a voice around climate change across the world. I have been a leadership coach on this program for the last 8 years.

During this voyage I had the opportunity to introduce these 88 women to Solution Focus. My intention was to do it in a subtle way. Fortuitously, only one week before going to Antarctica, on an SFiO Fika session, I met Gesa Döringer from Amsterdam who had developed the clever Mindsetter Game.

This provided a perfect way to do what I intended, introduce Solution Focus subtly! On the ship (plus on return via zoom) 66 of the women in total played the game.

I so enjoyed seeing the impact on these women of understanding the concepts of Solution Focus by experiencing it. Some of their insights from playing the game and my observations during were:

“We went deep really quickly”.
“We focused on what we wanted not what we didn’t want.”
“Change does not need to be hard.”
“Creating a clear preferred future makes me realise I have some of these things already.”
A few enjoyed the game so much they actually purchased the game to use back in their work contexts.
In less than 50 minutes people can get a real taste of Solution Focus principles.

Antarctica has had a lasting impact on me and these 88 women, with each one committing to local projects around sustainability and environmental change. In fact, the project I am a part of is supporting more Women in STEMM to progress into leadership. Everything we do now has Solution Focus tools infused in all our conversations. We have developed a Solution Focus Strategy Canvas to be clear on our Future Perfect, we use scales to determine where we are at each meeting and what progress has been made, we determine the signs we will notice when we move 1 point up the scale and each meeting is about taking very small steps as all of us are very busy!

Many of us left Antarctica with a huge appreciation for our planet. Antarctica is fragile and its weather systems link to the rest of the world. If it melts just the slightest way it will have a devastating impact on many countries. Being connected to these amazing women who are incredibly diverse, intelligent and creative as well doing incredible work around environmental change has impacted me to change the way I live such as, the way I eat (more plant based), made me more mindful on my purchasing of clothes and furniture (I make do now or buy second hand) and I use less one use plastics. I even run a Recycle Clothing Sale for my local community to donate their used clothes which we sell and donate the profit to Cancer Research. These may be small changes but if we all did it it would have big impact.

About Mindsetter (Taken from SFiO InterAction)

The Mindsetter Game© is an innovative solution-focused intervention Gesa Doringer has developed to apply the SF approach in therapy or coaching and teach it in workshops and training. Due to its size of 2x2m and being played on the floor, The Mindsetter holds space for clients and their desired future. It has also proven effective in setting the stage for new ideas and first steps towards the client’s desired outcome.

There are two versions of The Mindsetter available. The FIRST version is for teaching SF. This version facilitates active knowledge acquisition by students or practitioners learning SF or under team supervision. Practitioners invite participants to reflect on four of the basic tenets of this approach and discuss the implications of these tenets in the context of their professional environment. They do this in an SF manner:

“What is already working?”
“What would they like to see or do differently, and what difference would that make?”
“What does ‘leading from one step behind’ look like in their diverse work settings?”
“What to do if something isn’t broken, but people feel they should fix it anyway?”

Instead of a lecture, the game facilitates a collaborative and creative stance. By discussing and reflecting on the questions in small groups, players gain new insights, share sparkling moments, co-create metaphors and formulate their take-home message. And they decide on a first step towards their professional goal. So far, the training version has been applied and is well received in diverse settings, e.g., with peer-support workers, university students, workshops, training participants, and teams in various healthcare settings.

Gesa developed the SECOND version of The Mindsetter for therapy and coaching; practitioners can use it in group therapy or team settings and with individual clients. In this version, each participant starts by formulating a personal goal and defining their best hopes for how the session with The Mindsetter will help achieve that goal.

The game creates a safe space for new ideas, hope and self-confidence to flourish. In a group setting it stimulates collaboration and peer support. During the game process, each player focuses on their personal goal while moving in spirals around the four quadrants of The Mindsetter. They move through the four quadrants individually, witnessing each other’s process and progress. Answering the SF questions in each quadrant guides them to look at their goal and resources from different angles to gain new perspectives. They amplify these insights by answering aloud, sharing with and listening to each other. Quote from a participant:

The Power of Glimmers

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Victoria Spashchenko & Julia Kalenberg

Introduction by Yi Feng Khoo

When was the last time you went glimmer-hunting?

Victoria Spashchenko (Ukraine) and Julia Kalenberg (Switerland) invite us into a heart-opening session where micro-moments of safety, joy and connection gently reshape our nervous systems. Positive sensory experiences serve as the functional opposite of triggers.

What moved me most was Victoria’s perspective on finding glimmers during ‘dark times,’ such as hearing birdsong during a pause in shelling in Ukraine. By exercising our muscle of noticing, we can facilitate emotional healing and preferred change.

In this video, you’ll explore the ‘Glimmer Hunt’ and the ‘Bean Experiment,’ practical tools which help clients (and ourselves!) anchor hope using all five senses. Want to add a somatic, soulful layer to your SF practice and learn how to create a ripple effect of glimmers? This session is a must-watch.

Now, back to glimmer hunting in my photo gallery and journaling! Join me?

Short presentation & learning experience

Glimmers, a term pioneered by Deb Dana, are small positive cues that help our nervous system feel safe and connected. They often appear quietly—sunlight on a surface, a familiar sound, a kind smile—yet they can make a powerful difference in how connected, grounded and resourceful we feel.

In this session, Victoria and Julia introduce the concept of Glimmering, share how they use Glimmering personally and professionally — and demonstrate how well it works with a solution-focused approach.

Participants will explore their own Glimmers through simple exercises, noticing what already supports them and how small moments can create meaningful shifts. They will leave with practical ideas to spark a gentle, positive ripple effect in their daily lives and work.

The Presentation

Listen on SoundCloud

SFiO - Solution Focus in Organisations · The Power of Glimmers

The Interview on Glimmers at the SOLWorld Conference in 2025

Practicing Glimmers for Resilience and Wellbeing – with Victoria Spashchenko

Glimmers are those little sparks of joy or calm we sometimes overlook — like the scent of a flower, the sound of rain, or a smile from someone we like. They’re the gentle opposite of triggers. Instead of weighing us down, they lighten us up. When we notice these moments, our bodies relax, our minds settle, and we feel more connected. In this lovely interview, Victoria explains glimmering to Annie and how we can generate glimmers more often.

Feel like a glimmer now? Take a look at Victoria’s presentation.
Download her session presentation here.
And read her article in JSFP:
Practising Glimmering on: journalsfp.org

Video:

Listen on SoundCloud:

SOL Unconference 2024

Sun, 05 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

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!

Download Page: /

What's Your URP

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What's Your URP? – Andrew Gibson's book reviewed by

Dion Sing

After retrieving my food, I finally find a seat in a busy ‘budget’ airport (wishing I’d spent the few extra bucks for the not busy one). A lady sitting next to me commiserates about her delayed flight. I ask her where she’s heading, only to discover we’re on the same (delayed) flight – I am now really wishing I’d booked the other airline. In conversation, she asks how I find and engage clients, and I recommend What’s Your URP? to her. A few days later, I receive this message: “THE book! Almost life changing.”

In the entrepreneurial, consulting, and business world, there is a lot of pressure to build a “brand” and an “audience” or a “following” to attract and “funnel” people who may be interested in buying your services. Although there definitely are ethical approaches to this and reasons you may want to, this approach has never been a fit for me or my business. In What’s Your URP?, (Unique Referral Point), Gibson maps out an approach that focuses on bringing value to the people you help, value to people who might refer your services, and in turn, value to yourself.

It moves beyond self-promotion toward finding your unique way to contribute to the world, and connecting with people who will benefit from your contribution.

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

— Zig Ziglar

Who will benefit most from this book?

This book is for anyone who would like to enjoy a seven-day weekend. Gibson introduces us to the idea that if we find fulfilment in the work we do and in the people we work with, then we’re not just surviving the work week to enjoy the weekends, we’re enjoying a seven-day weekend. People who are self-employed or in business are likely to benefit the most, although there are definite applications for employees seeking to align their work with their values in how they help others. Whether you are a plumber, therapist, or glue salesperson (that was the lady in the airport), this book offers something useful. If you are a business coach or consultant helping people grow or establish their business, the book is full of ideas ready to be applied in that context.

What can you expect from this book?

Gibson’s ethical, Solution Focused approach shines throughout as he guides the reader through a process of discovering what you’re good at, how you can use this to help others, and how to make a living by connecting with those who will benefit most from your services. The book is full of practical examples and metaphors that make the ideas accessible, alongside engaging stories that bring the concepts to life. He takes the reader through thinking exercises; identifying who you help, how you help them, and why they would be willing to pay for your services. What’s Your URP? will help you clarify how you talk about your work, giving you greater opportunities to connect with people who can benefit and pay for what you offer. “What do you do?”
“I’m an accountant.”

“What do you do?”
“I’m a social worker.” (End of conversation.)

Versus:

“What do you do?”
“I help small businesses pay less tax.”

This introduction allows the person you’re talking with to think, “Oh, I’m in small business, I want to pay less tax,” or “I know someone who would like to pay less tax,” prompting them to refer you on. I appreciate Gibson’s emphasis on win–win business relationships. His values shine clearly through his approach to building business relationships that benefit everyone involved. Gibson’s writing invites us to think about how we bring value into the world, and how we might benefit in the process.

Discover | SFiO.org

Opening SF24 2026

Introduction by Annie Bordeleau

Continue the Conversation

Listen on SoundCloud

Unpacking The Mindsetter Game

Synopsis

Antarctica and the Mindsetter Game

About Mindsetter (Taken from SFiO InterAction)

The Power of Glimmers

Introduction by Yi Feng Khoo

Short presentation & learning experience

The Presentation

Listen on SoundCloud

The Interview on Glimmers at the SOLWorld Conference in 2025

Practicing Glimmers for Resilience and Wellbeing – with Victoria Spashchenko

SOL Unconference 2024

Introduced by Bodil Mickels

Reflections on the Sustainability Unconference

Introduction to the Unconference 2024

What's Your URP

What's Your URP? – Andrew Gibson's book reviewed by

Who will benefit most from this book?

What can you expect from this book?