The Next Generation of Solution Focused Practice shows how practitioners help create change by 'stretching the world' of their clients. The book brings new ideas from enactive cognition which show how skilled attention on the client and their words is important both practically and conceptually. It provides both a summary of the development of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) over time and how the latest developments form a newly coherent form of practice based on developing descriptions. The author has structured the book using simple and easy to understand metaphors to paint a rich, creative, and visual picture of therapy for the reader, which makes it an accessible read. This book will be of interest to a wide range of SF practitioners internationally, as well as to those involved in coaching, counselling, family therapy, education, social work, healthcare and organisational change.

The Next Generation of Solution Focused Practice shows how practitioners help create change by 'stretching the world' of their clients. The book brings new ideas from enactive cognition which show how skilled attention on the client and their words is important both practically and conceptually. It provides both a summary of the development of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) over time and how the latest developments form a newly coherent form of practice based on developing descriptions. The author has structured the book using simple and easy to understand metaphors to paint a rich, creative, and visual picture of therapy for the reader, which makes it an accessible read. This book will be of interest to a wide range of SF practitioners internationally, as well as to those involved in coaching, counselling, family therapy, education, social work, healthcare and organisational change.

The pottery industry was key for Burton-in-Lonsdale on the borders of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria for nearly three centuries until its demise in 1944. This book tells the story of Richard Bateson, the last potter of Black Burton, a renowned thrower and teacher. It encapsulates the history and traditions of this lost trade; the personalities, the struggles, the humour alongside the hard work. The book is a grand contribution to the history of Burton, the history of pottery and the story of rural arts in transformation from an industrial to a more artistic endeavour. "The most comprehensive collection of history, stories, first-hand accounts and photographs we are ever likely to see... social history of a high order; rooted in its context, explored by those who really understand how it was." From the Foreword by Mark McKergow "(Richard) didn't like Bernard Leach's pots, because all Leach's pots had a wobble and Richard's never did." David Frith, Brookhouse Pottery

Helping teams and leaders work together in fast-moving and challenging situations * Would you like to work better in an agile way? * Would you like to achieve benefits such as flexibility, productivity and adaptability? * Do you want practical, tried-and-tested, simple yet effective ways to build all of that, as a leader, Scrum Master, project manager or (Agile) coach? Veronika Jungwirth and Ralph Miarka have years of experience with helping teams work agile, and agile teams work better. In this book they offer an accessible, detailed and practical guide to approaches, methods and techniques to help teams of all levels work more collaboratively and effectively. They combine the laser-sharp practice of solution-focused coaching with experience of agile environments to produce a winning combination of fresh angles on everyday situations. This book will be both a great starting point and a continuing reference source for teams, leaders and team coaches alike.

Leading as a host, not a hero, is about bringing people together to address complex collective problems. This kaleidoscope of international experience shows people at all levels in many fields taking on the role of host leader to build engagement, performance and results. The 33 contributors to the book bring a wealth of know-how and perceptive awareness from their work around the world - in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, Kenya, Canada, the USA and Australia. The cases and experience presented here come from many fields: Business Agile Education Social care Coaching Virtual teams Volunteer organisations Organisational change Conflict resolution Training Community building Leadership development

This is a new and updated edition of this acclaimed first business book on the powerful, simple yet subtle approach to positive change in people, teams and organisations. Used around the world by a wide range of people, professions and organisations, the first edition has now sold nearly 10,000 copies and been translated into 7 languages. Including new chapters reflecting the increasing importance of coaching and the solutions focus movement in the business environment, this wide-ranging book is filled with all the most important ideas, case examples and practical tips for managers, facilitators and consultants. Proven in many fields and with a distinguished intellectual heritage, "The Solutions Focus" provides a simple and direct route to progress in your organisation. It focuses on: solutions - not problems; in between: the action is in the interaction; make use of what's there; possibilities - past, present and future; and language. Every case is different. The trouble with traditional approaches to people problems is that they assume a straightforward relationship between cause and effect, between a problem and its solution. A solutions-focused approach sidesteps the search for the causes of a problem and heads straight for the solution, showing you how to envisage your preferred future and quickly takes steps forward. The authors present a set of practical techniques, including specific forms of questioning that lead to immediate action and results. They show how to identify what is working in your organisation and amplify it to make useful changes; to focus on what is possible rather than what is intractable and how to be solution focused, not solution forced.

The time has come for a new yet ancient look at leadership. Great engagement is the key to truly successful leadership, and the secret to moving forward is knowing when to step back... It is no longer about being the hero, the one that has to make everything happen. There is another way: be the host. This book reveals why Host Leadership is set to become one of the most pioneering concepts in 21st century management. - Learn how to step into and out of the six NEW roles of engagement - Adopt the four positions for a Host Leader - Understand how to apply hosting strategies in your organization to achieve greater agility, flexibility and responsiveness - Become a leader with a highly tuned sense of relationship building and engagement. The traditional 'stand and deliver' approach to leadership falls down when it comes to engagement. Understanding how to really engage with people is the ultimate backbone of success. Intrinsically, we all know how to be hosts; now is the time to sharpen these skills and bring them to the table.

Fourteen organisations all over the world tell the stories of how Solutions Focus has helped them to change - and show you many ways to find what works in the workplace. This book is a massive fund of experience and know-how about keeping organisational change simple. The fourteen real life cases described here illustrate the Solutions Focus approach in action from widescale change to everyday effective management. The cases come from a very wide range of organisations, including Lufthansa, British Sky Broadcasting, Bayer Cropscience, the Cooperative Group, the Ontario Medical Association and Freescale Semiconductor. They worked on issues including restructuring, strategy development, sales improvement, continuous improvement, team development, outplacement, training and job satisfaction. International consultants and Solutions Focus pioneers Mark McKergow and Jenny Clarke guide you through the ins and outs of each case, and draw 80 lessons which you can use in building positive change at work and keeping things as simple as possible - but no simpler. "Filled with the wisdom of profound simplicity. I highly recommend this insightful and practical book." - Stephen MR Covey, author of "The Speed of Trust".

The first Solutions Focus field book. This collection of articles from the AMED journal "Organisations & People" describes international experience of applying the positive power of Solutions Focus and Appreciative Inquiry to Coaching, Team Remotivation, Supervision, Performance Management, Strategic Planning, Feedback, Organisation Development, Staff Appraisal, Competence Management, and Community Development. Contributors include Louis Cauffman, Sheila McNamee, Paul Z Jackson, Peter Szabo, Gunter Lueger, Harry Norman and others from the UK, across Europe and the USA. This collection gives you new applications and ideas about staying pragmatically positive and incisively simple in many organisational contexts. Includes a new and expanded introduction by Mark McKergow comparing positive psychology, Appreciative Inquiry and Solutions Focus.