Reviewed Piece of SF Work: Andrew Gibson

Description of the Piece of Work

“Helping a client to create a 5 year business plan for her charity with input from her team and Board”

Working with the client

I have known Karen Cruise for many years through our networking activities. Following a recommendation for work, she approached me, with several clear requirements:

• To generate different streams of income
• To explore specific opportunities, including universities, corporate support, and work within the corporate sector
• To build on existing income from the NHS, schools, colleges, and universities
• To develop an audience-specific business plan

Karen also wanted a clear plan and structure to support a soon-to-be-recruited Operations Manager in managing a team of sixteen coaches. Alongside this, she was considering scalability, a longer-term exit plan, and the legacy she wanted to leave.

In our initial meetings, we explored Karen’s long-term vision and what was already working well for her and the team. The Board had asked her to develop a new business plan and a pitch deck to present to prospective clients and funders. At the same time, she was developing a pamphlet describing the organisation’s work and seeking unrestricted funding to invest in local people.

Karen is a highly capable and driven client. In the early meetings, she questioned whether she needed my support. In our third meeting, we explored what differences she and others would notice if she had completed the business plan, pitch deck, and pamphlet. She identified repeat work from schools and universities, income beyond education, and improved outcomes for Black and Asian young people.

By this point, Karen recognised how the Solution Focused approach could help. We agreed to prioritise the business plan, using the ‘Best Year Ever’ process. In our fourth meeting, we planned two BYE workshops involving coaches, trustees, Laura (her PA), and selected contacts. The first workshop took place on 1 November 2024.

Working with the teams

We held two workshops, followed by a small-group review of the outputs. Coaches, trustees, Karen, and Laura, her PA, attended the workshops. Each session involved eight to ten participants, and both followed the same process, as described in the ‘Best Year Ever’ documents submitted separately.

I used a team coaching Solution Focused process. I began each workshop with a simple warm-up exercise. I invited each participant to speak with a neighbour and then introduce them to the group, including one thing that had pleased them most in the previous seven days.

I then invited the group to imagine that we had gathered one year later to celebrate our Best Year Ever. I asked what they noticed as they arrived at the celebration, and what else they noticed. I recorded their responses on flipcharts, capturing only observable differences rather than actions. When someone suggested an action, such as “we would be fully funded”, I asked a follow-up question: “What would we notice that would tell us we were fully funded?” I repeated this process until the group described clear, observable differences. I deepened the description by repeatedly asking “What else?” and inviting other perspectives with “Who else?” This stage lasted over an hour and usually required a break afterwards.

During the break, I displayed the flipcharts on the walls. When participants returned, they often expressed surprise at how fully they had described their preferred future. We then reviewed the sheets and identified which elements were already happening now or had occurred recently. I marked these by drawing a ring around them. This stage took around fifteen to twenty minutes. I then paused to acknowledge the progress already made, helping the group see that they were building on existing strengths rather than starting from nothing.

In the final stage, I invited the group to imagine being three months into the future and asked what they would notice that would show progress. I marked these items with asterisks.

The second workshop followed the same process. While the outputs were broadly similar, each group contributed slightly different perspectives.

Afterwards, a small review team consisting of Karen, Laura, and trustee Sonya reviewed the outputs. This review enabled us to create short sentences and paragraphs that formed a concise business plan. The resulting document was approximately two pages long and included a vision, current strengths, and a next steps action plan.

Follow up

We took the Best Year Ever plan back to the team and thanked them for their contributions. The plan formed the core of a new prospectus, including the pitch deck and pamphlet. This prospectus enabled Flourished Minds to secure new business from two Multi-Academy Trusts shortly after the work concluded.

Summary reflections

Candidate’s Summary:

Throughout the project, I responded to the client’s needs with patience. Karen was highly action oriented and keen to make rapid progress. She wanted to know exactly what I was going to do and how the work would unfold, and she asked me to sketch out a full plan of action for our time together. It was a real challenge to stay with the Solution Focused process and to support her in coming around to this way of working, rather than meeting the understandable desire for immediate answers.

I would rate the usefulness of this piece of work as a ten out of ten. After the work was completed, the client told me that they had quickly secured new sources of income from two Multi Academy Trust groups, and she explicitly linked this success to the business planning process we had undertaken. What contributed most to this high rating was the tangible difference the process made to the organisation.

The initial work with Karen to establish what she really wanted was vital. Taking time to explore her many priorities in a Solution Focused way enabled us to produce work that addressed all of them. Although she was initially focused on generating income, the process helped her recognise that developing a strong business plan was the necessary first step.

What I want to remember for next time is the power of simplicity. By trusting a simple SF process in a complex organisational situation, the desired outcomes were achieved and owned by the client.

Client Quotations:

Would you do anything differently next time?

“Honestly, no. I liked the format, the energy, the involvement of the team. It’s a ‘real life’ document that means something to us. Every time I read it, I still get excited. I think the best part was stepping back and letting the team create the plan themselves. I could never have done what Andrew did.”

How will you keep progressing?

“We now review it quarterly at the board. Maybe in a year we’ll have a follow up with Andrew to check where we are, since the company is evolving. I’d definitely get Andrew back, because he has a way of drawing things out. The team loved it.”

Lead Reviewer’s Summary:

From John Brooker (Lead reviewer) Excerpt

This piece of work is notable for its clarity and effectiveness. The client rated it ten out of ten and continues to use the business plan produced. Andrew’s platform work was particularly strong, combining patience with a clear focus on what was realistic in the time available. His approach is simple, consistent, and disciplined. He stays with the client’s language and deepens descriptions rather than adding complexity. Patience and persistence are clear strengths, especially in workshops, where he encourages broader and more precise thinking. While Annie and I questioned some process choices, the context justified them. The outcomes confirm sound professional judgement and context-led Solution Focused practice.

Second Reviewer’s Summary:

From Annie Bordeleau, (2nd reviewer) Excerpt

Andrew’s “Best Year Ever” process is a strong example of clear, practical Solution Focused work. It combines careful contracting, well-chosen SF questions, and outcomes that matter to the client. His consistent focus on observable differences, rather than abstract hopes, reflects the direction of contemporary SF practice and helps the group build a shared, grounded picture of success. The three-step arc, (from preferred future, to what is already happening, to near-future signs), turns strategy into confidence with direction. Andrew also maintains clear respect for the client’s ownership throughout. He facilitates the frame while the client authors the plan, enabling the system to organise itself without external expertise.

• Lead reviewer: John Brooker
• Second reviewer: Annie Bordeleau

About The Candidate and Reviewers: