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Jonas Wells, Susanne Burgstaller, Marika Tammeaid, Mark McKergow,Jesper Hankovszky Christiansen & Dominik Godat Watch video ↗ Introduced by John Brooker We are delighted to feature this case study on the use of SF within inter-organisation collaboration, a collaboration that has been working for 15 years. You can view the video above or download / listen to the audio on Soundcloud below. As well we have added an associated article by Marika Tammeaid below.

John Brooker Annie Bordeleau Introduction A passionate group of solution-focused organisational practitioners came together for a two-day Unconference on how the Solution Focus (SF) approach could help create truly sustainable organisations. A powerful theme emerged: the need to make sustainability achievable for individuals and teams, empowering them to take meaningful action and providing hope that their efforts can make a real difference — whether within their organisation, networks, or society at large.

Andrew Gibson Synopsis The “Best Year Ever” process is a structured Solution Focus (SF) workshop methodology designed to help teams and organisations develop actionable improvement plans, thereby fostering sustainability. This method utilises the SF Numberless Scaling technique, which encourages participants to envision celebrating their most successful year as if it had already happened, then looking to see how much of this is happening now or has happened recently, and then to work out their next small steps in the form of an Action Plan.

Lien Tettelin Synopsis Lien Tettelin’s open space session on “Good practices in the public sector” focused on strategies for enhancing organisational sustainability. The session explored how public sector entities can integrate sustainability into their decision-making processes, develop relevant strategies and KPIs, and redefine notions of profit to encompass social benefits. Critical strategies discussed included starting conversations around the environmental impacts of decisions, such as carbon footprints, and developing targeted strategies for sectors with the most significant potential impact.

Netta Jakola Synopsis The diagram illustrates the interconnected relationship between three key aspects of sustainability: Environment, Economy, and Equity (or Social dimension). Here’s a breakdown of the visual elements and their meanings: Environment: This represents the natural world and is fundamental to sustainability. It emphasises the importance of preserving natural resources and minimising environmental impact. Economy: This aspect focuses on the financial and economic factors that must be sustainable to support long-term prosperity and stability. Equity/Social: This refers to social justice and fairness, ensuring that benefits and responsibilities are distributed equitably among all members of society. Arrows: The arrows between each component indicate a two-way relationship, suggesting that each dimension influences and is influenced by the others. Central Question: “Balance between dimensions?” This question at the centre of the diagram raises the critical point of how organisations can balance these three dimensions to achieve overall sustainability. This diagram encapsulates the complex interplay between environmental integrity, economic health, and social equity, which organisations must harmonise to foster a sustainable future.

Peter-Rohrig Synopsis Peter Röhrig’s “Talking with your children” session centred on employing solution-focused (SF) techniques to enhance intergenerational communication about sustainability. This informal conversation illuminated the importance of SF values in nurturing constructive dialogues between different age groups within families. Key concepts discussed included ‘holding space’ for open conversations, actively listening to each other’s perspectives, and appreciating each other’s contributions. These practices help to build a shared understanding and co-construct a family reality that includes all voices.

Andrew Gibson Synopsis Andrew Gibson’s open space session delved into innovative methods for integrating solution-focused approaches discreetly within various organisational contexts. Participants shared various strategies tailored to subtly foster positive change without overtly disrupting existing structures or workflows. For example, Roy introduced the concept of “Guerrilla solution-focused practice,” which involves being solution-focused in meetings even if one is the only proponent of such methodologies. This approach includes thinking aloud in a solution-focused manner and maintaining a structured review process in meetings to ensure constructive outcomes.

Ania Smolka Synopsis The open space session facilitated by Ania Smolka on designing ‘sustainable leadership’ programmes was an intensive exploration of ideas on integrating sustainability into leadership practices across various organisational layers. Ania asked three teams to consider the challenge and we show their outputs below. As well, one of the teams highlighted the concept of Regenerative Leadership (subtly different from Sustainable Leadership). Below, you can download a PDF article on the relationship between this concept and Solution Focus.

Haesun Moon Synopsis Haesun Moon’s “The Loving Organisation” session explored the profound impact of integrating love, expressed as empathy, compassion, and care, into the workplace. This session, inspired by the work of Apruv Gupta, MD, and Kristin Bodiford, Ph.D and grounded in Khalil Gibran’s quote, “Work is love made visible,” aimed to elucidate how such emotions can be a driving force in organisational settings, particularly in healthcare but applicable to other sectors as well.

Paul Z Jackson Synopsis At the SOLWorld Unconference, ‘Exploring How Solution Focus creates sustainable organisations’, Paul Z Jackson led a session to explore what SF distinctively offers for treating organisations as sustainable entities that aim to persist and evolve. The outcomes of this exploration add to the more familiar idea of SF Projects, which merely conclude. The group discussed organisations as living systems that adapt continuously to survive, challenging business paradigms that often prioritise quick profits and short-term political gains. The dialogue pointed out the dangers of such shortsightedness, suggesting that sustainability and adaptability are essential for long-term success and stability within the broader ecological and societal contexts.