Maart 2003 – Michael Hjerth is one of the organizing people of the international SOL conference, which is to be held next year in Sweden. Sweden counts remarkably many solution-focused consultants. And there is even a Swedisch organization, which calls itself ´the most solution-focused organization in the world. The most solution-focused organization in the world?? We had to know more about that. Michael is consultant to this organization. Reason enough to hear him out. 

How did you come across the solution focused way of thinking?  

I studied psychology and was struck by the numerous different theories, which were very contradictory to each other, like in no other science. I was looking for something more solid than that and took up philosophy. I worked with post-structural thinkers, Wittgenstein, social constructionism, etc and was very interested in that way of thinking. I started to think about how a possible therapy based on that kind of thinking could look like, planning to write a doctoral thesis on it.  Then, a friend at the university mentioned a clinic where they worked in a way which she claimed reminded her of what I was doing in philosophy. I went to visit this team, which included among others Harry Korman and Martin Söderqvist.  I started hanging out there and after a few times behind the one-way mirror, Harry kicked me into the therapy room to work with a family he had gotten stuck with. I found it surprisingly easy to do, I felt more at easy with doing it than writing about it. Since then my dissertation in philosophy has been gathering dust on a shelf. So, while still in school, I started to work one day a week at a solution-focused clinic. First with regular solution focused therapy, but I soon got more and more interested in working with organisations and work life problems, and gradually shifted focus to work with training and organisational change. My main interest continues to be how to describe, research and develop solutions focus to fit new contexts, such as consulting, coaching, leadership,  organisational change, training, etc.  

You have introduced the solution focused principles at the Swedish National Labour Market Department. Can you share with us what worked well, because this organisation is now know as ´the most solution focused organization in the world´.

The funny thing is that there has never been a project and there still is no project or project leader. The solution focused methods were discovered and applied in different parts of the organisation and people got to know from each other how well it worked. The employees who work closely with the clients (who are looking for a job, or who are out of the labour process because of physical or psychological problems) used the solution focused methods and were enthusiastic about it and started talking about it with each other. The “rumour” spread throughout the organisation and people were having less difficulties in their sometimes hard job to get clients at work again. Still yet, there is not a decision from the top management to introduce the solution focus methods in the entire nation-wide organisation, but it spreads out bottom-up and sideways. As of today about a third of the staff has been trained in solution focused methods, and it continues at an accelerating speed.

How did that go?

The National Labour Organisation of Sweden did not introduce the solution focus, it was more like the solution focus introduced itself to them. Employees started to tell their bosses how useful it was, and ask for more trainings, then the bosses started to tell each other how useful it was to their teams, the middle management on the county level noticed that something was going on and started to support and finance it. The middle management trusted their employees and managers enough to support it: the employees said it worked and the management was smart enough to listen and learn. The training department of the organisation cooperated closely with me and others to make sure we got he very best consultants to do their very best work, to keep the good rumour going.  And as we do more and more trainings with managers, I expect it to grow even further, since the managers will hopefully note how it can be useful for themselves as leaders and managers. 

What were the main effects of the solution focus in this organization?

One clear effect seems to increased work satisfaction among the employees. This is the effect that has been most clearly perceived by the management. Another thing is that the solutions focused is seen as more fitting with the general trends within the organisation, to focus more on competence and effectiveness.  There seems to be a decrease of sickness among the employees, a decrease of turn-around of staff, and a lot of interesting new ways to use a solutions focus are being developed.  Not least important, though this hasn’t really been measured satisfactorily yet, the clients finds a new jobs much quicker than before. Another major result is that clients who are really suffering from e.g. burnout get through their recovery process much quicker and stay healthy while back at work.

Now, some offices in the organisation are  introducing the solution focus into their meetings, using an adaptation of Harry Normans Solution Focused Reflecting Teams. This gives a structure for meetings that is truly solution focused and enables all participants to join in and share their thoughts about work and work improvements in a structured way.  

You are a member of the steering group of SOL. Where do you see SOL going from here?

What I really like is the organic process of SOL. There are no accreditations, there is no “boss”, it is all about sharing ideas and successes and learning from each other. Every one is allowed to apply the solution focus in their own way, add personal flavours to it and there is no rigid outline of how things are supposed to be. This is great since there is such a potential for developing and extending solution focused practises to more and more situations and contexts. 

Solution focused management, leadership and organisational work is the freshest,  most rapidly developing methodology in the organisational world.  I also hope that SOL will become even more international and that Southern and Eastern countries will start participating more. Right now there are already participants of a lot of countries, but these are all from Western Europe and it would be a major step forward if Southern countries and Eastern Europe would join in as well.  

Yes, we noticed there seem to be a lot of Swedish solution focused consultants.....

I think the cultural issue plays a role in this respect. For example, the Netherlands and Sweden have a social structure in which democracy and employee participation is very important and regulated by law. This also has to do with the small power distance (Hofstede) in these countries. The solution focus really matches this kind of culture.  In countries where the power distance is larger, having employees participate in finding their own solutions is a somewhat more difficult step to take. At least, it might to a little longer. On the other hand, a solutions focused might make even more a difference in these countries.

Coert Visser (coert.visser@planet.nl) is a consultant, coach and trainer using the solution-focused approach to change. This approach is focused on simply helping individuals, teams and organizations to make progress in the direction of their own choice. Coert has written many articles and a few books. His latest book (Doen wat werkt) was awarded a prize for best (HR)management book by a professional jury and also by a public jury. He has also interviewed thought leaders like Insoo Kim Berg, David Maister, and Jeffrey Pfeffer. More information: www.m-cc.nl / www.m-cc.nl/solutionfocusedchange.htm / Dutch network / Dutch blog

Gwenda Schlundt Bodien is founder of Positron, Personnel management & Coaching. She does individual coaching, team coaching, organizational consultancy and training. Gwenda has published a lot about HRM and solution-focused practise.