Yi Feng Khoo | SFiO.org

In Good Company

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

SOLWorld 2025: A Celebration of Connection, Curiosity and Community

Two years on from the SOLWorld Conference in Vienna, Anton Stellamans introduced this year’s SOLWorld Conference in Mechelen, which lived up to every expectation and beyond. As Anton said, “Dreamwork is what makes the teamwork” and this team dreamed creatively!

Held under the warm and welcoming theme “In Good Company”, the 2025 edition brought together 142 passionate professionals from around the world—coaches, trainers, consultants, and changemakers—each contributing their unique energy, experiences, and insight to three unforgettable days of learning, laughter, and collaboration. Whether it was your first SOLWorld or your twentieth, the spirit of generosity and genuine connection made everyone feel immediately at home.

Throughout the conference, the theme “In Good Company” resonated deeply—not only as a description of the experience, but as a call to action. As professionals committed to creating better workplaces and healthier human systems, we were reminded that being in good company—where people feel seen, valued, and heard—is both the goal and the path. The discussions, ideas, and inspirations shared will ripple outward, touching organizations and communities around the world.

As we return to our work, we carry with us not only notes, handouts, and jazz-infused metaphors—but also the renewed sense that we are not alone. We are part of a global learning community, generous in spirit and rich in possibility. Thank you, SOLWorld 2025, for reminding us what’s possible in good company.

Listen on Soundcloud

SFiO - Solution Focus in Organisations · Introduction to SOLWorld 2025

In Good Company @ SOLWorld Conference

Yi Feng’s testimonial of his first SOLWORLD Conference

First-time nerves, dissolve
In warm hugs and honest laughs
No airs, just presence
We pass gifts, not pedestal
The action is connection.

It’s my first conference. I came with curiosity and some anxiety. But from the warm hugs at the pre-conference reception to the playful tone of every session at Het Predikheren, Mechelen Public Library, I knew this wasn’t your typical professional gathering (hugs to Wendy).

Malaysian SF Coach Alex Tan welcomed me with a ‘warning,’ that SOLWorld “has no airs” — and he was right! Off the train, I bumped into Janine Waldman and Paul Z Jackson. I found myself blurting, “Are you THE Janine Waldman?” She chuckled and replied something like, “I’m not sure I’m THE, but I’m definitely Janine.” Paul kindly signed my book, and we bonded over improv. Dr. Haesun Moon’s charmingly chill vibe perfectly reflected the soul of SOLWorld.

There’s a certain magic when formality steps aside, and humanity steps inside. Without name tags, we normalised asking names (repeatedly). We sat where we wish rather than with assigned seating for ‘Greats’. We go where our feet wishes to bring us to. We passed gifts to honour speakers instead of calling them to the stage. The action was, quite literally, in the interaction. Interacting as peers, not personas; was refreshing for me, coming from status conscious environments.

We may come from different worlds, but the central theme of being in good company is connection. From experiencing the intersectional HOPfEar polarities through Annie Bordeleau and Ania Smolka’s ‘Weaving the Threads of Fear and Hope’ activity, to participating in Alex Steele’s electrifying experiential ‘Experiment of Organisational Flourishing’ by seeing leadership through the lens of jazzy improvisation to comedic cabaret buffet of talent showcase (think bagpipes, jokes, Bibi’s flips), SOLWorld reified my heart-head-hand SF connection.

Even though it’s my first, I felt seen. I felt welcomed. I felt I belonged. SOLWorld wasn’t about showcasing or one-upmanship. It was about showing up and friendship. The brilliance came not just from what was said, but how it was shared. Humanness took centre stage. And that, to me, is the heart of being in good company. The action, is truly in the InterAction. And I was, In Great Company.

Three Photos Side by Side

PS: Thank you, Anton Stellamans, Vonneke Beeker, Wendy Van den Bulck, Ciska de Pillecyn, Chris Aertsen, Lily Deforce and Wim Sucaet for organising such a transformational conference.

Since its founding in 2002, SOLWorld has hosted over 50 events around the world. It’s a community of solution-focused professionals who come together to share and build SF practice in organisations. Sharing is at the heart of it all—there’s no divide between presenters and participants. Everyone brings something valuable, and everyone learns.

Bibiana's Podcasts

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

Meet Bibiana, a bright, curious young lady whose energy filled the halls of this year’s conference. From the moment she picked up the microphone, it was clear she had a natural talent for making people feel welcome and heard. Bibiana didn’t just ask questions; she created a friendly space where workshop participants could relax, share a laugh, and reflect on their experiences.

Throughout the day, she roamed the venue with her trademark mix of enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, stopping speakers and participants alike for spontaneous chats. Whether it was asking them to rate the food, share the highlights of their sessions, or dream a little about the next conference, Bibiana brought a lightness and authenticity that made every interviewee sparkle a little more after their interaction. Her playful “high-fives” and quick wit drew out stories and smiles, revealing sides of the experience that formal interviews often miss.

Bibiana has a keen ear for what matters to a global community of SF practitioners, recognizing that her podcasts could inspire colleagues around the world. To discover more of the insights and ideas that want to resonate far beyond the conference walls, you can listen to the episodes she recorded on the Simply Focus Podcast. Bibiana Czerny interviewing SF Practitioners at the SOLWorld-Conference 2025

So settle in and enjoy this live interview. You’ll hear the buzz of the event and the genuine connection she builds with each person she meets.

Bibiana has attended many SOLWorld conferences with her parents, with whom she also embarked on a solution-focused journey across North America and Europe (2017–2019). Explore her episodes, along with those hosted by her parents, at SF on Tour

Reclaiming Stillness

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Janelle Kwok & Kenneth Kwan & khoo-yi-feng

When was the last time you experienced a true retreat? Not a strategy session disguised as rest. Not a remote working trip dressed up as a break. But a space where your body finally catches up with your soul.

As organisational consultants running a fast-paced business in Singapore, “SOLWORLD Retreat” often feels like a luxury we can’t afford. There are deadlines. Decisions. Deliverables.

But here’s the truth we’ve come to embrace:

A retreat isn’t a distraction—it’s a necessity. That’s what the recent SOLWorld Retreat at Land Aan Zee, in the coastal Netherlands, offered us.

For three gentle, unhurried days, we — a group of solution-focused practitioners and friends — stepped away from doing, and leaned into being. We traded hustle for healing. Deliverables for dialogue. Structure for silence.

Slowing Down with Purpose

The retreat wasn’t defined by any single activity, but rather a series of intentional pauses and shared moments that reminded us what it means to be present. We walked in silence along coastal paths in the early morning winds. With each footstep, a question seemed to arise from the path itself: Who has been your safe harbour? Who will walk with you next? There was no pressure to respond. Only permission to notice. Some found meaning in:

A quiet walk with others.
The laughter of spontaneous singing and dancing during review sessions.
Tasting thoughtful vegan meals, crafted with care by the Land Aan and Zee team — where sustainability wasn’t just spoken about, but served on the plate.
Sharing those meal times in the presence of everyone.
Hearing about the vision for LaZ.
Spontaneous chat in the kitchen while washing up.
Exploring meaning of names during the introduction.
Hugging.
Reconnecting with people.
The improvisation of poems around the campfire.
Fulfilling wishes.
Walking on the beach and dipping their toes in the wet sand.
Cycling on traffic free paths.
Planting wishes written on seed paper in the garden to flower.
The lightness of co-creating the programme.
For one person, it was hearing a real frog’s croak for the first time.
For another, it was plunging into the 15°C pond with a breathless grin.
For someone else, it was finding harmony in a choir.

For us, it was sitting under a crisp, clear night sky — a quiet wish for beauty, gently granted.

What Difference Did That Make?

In a solution-focused frame, we often ask: “What’s better?” or “What difference has that made?” At Land Aan Zee, better showed up not as answers, but as presence.

Around fires and in soulful circles, we heard each other’s hopes, jokes and read poetry together. And as each person voiced their version of meaning — no matter how small — the space itself shifted. People leaned in, not to fix, but to listen.

Someone said quietly one night, “This is what I needed.”

I simply nodded — not out of agreement, but from recognition.

We had touched something vital.

Rest as a Resource, Not a Reward

The retreat was not about escape. It was about returning — to clarity, to courage, to connection. In organisational settings, the idea of “slowing down” is often seen as indulgent or inefficient. But in solution-focused work, we know that slowing down is often where noticing begins.

In resting, new questions arise. In stillness, forgotten resources resurface. In community, the next small steps emerge more naturally.

We left Land Aan Zee not just refreshed, but reminded — of how powerful it is to pause, to witness, to wish out loud.

When will you give yourself permission to rest — not because you’ve earned it, but because you need it?

Maybe the next SOLWORLD retreat is something to consider.

Yi-Feng’s testimony of a first SOLWORLD experience

Set against the peaceful backdrop of Lisolette’s thoughtfully curated resort at Land aan Zee, the SOLWorld Retreat was a rejuvenating pause — with homemade meals, forest hike, beach walk, open space activities and the best kind of company.

Beyond the chill, resides quiet richness. As SF practitioners, we know that sparkling moments are like butterflies — fleeting unless photographed. Inviting retreat-goers to join a flip-chart “brain dump” to gather our favourite retreat takeaways, we created a gift not just to ourselves, but to those who couldn’t be there — a tangible “Here’s What We Did” from our time together. We reflected on Alex Steele’s soulful jazz improv, Annie and Ania’s powerful Hope & Fear weaving, and the laughter and lightness that punctuated every conversation.

Facilitator-led ‘rituals’ like co-creating our Retreat best hopes in flowing art-scroll, ‘secret Santa’ surprise and planting our best hopes meaningfully brought me to the present and Participant-led sessions from Tai Chi to yoga to Si Le Le singing to poetry-recital beside the campfire to topical discussions. they refreshed me physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The retreat was a restful reminder that stillness is fertile ground for growth and deep connection — with ourselves, with nature, and with one another — creates the wellspring of meaningful practice.

In chilling together (at our own pace, in our chosen space(s)), we let our SF broth simmer and thicken. We are ready to serve the goodness …

Thank you, John, Annie, Eva and retreatants, for co-curating space.

Yi Feng Khoo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

With over seven years of experience across public service, social service, and healthcare sectors, I nurture psychologically safe, high-performing and life-giving workplaces.

I speak the HR language of talent acquisition, organizational learning and development, workplace relationship management, compensation and benefits, and HR technology through hands-on projects, case studies, and mentorship by HR leaders.

My vision is to uplift mental health in Southeast Asia through workplaces. My mission is to nurture inclusive and thriving organizational cultures by leveraging evidence-informed practices, systems thinking, and a human-centered approach.

I bring a strong background in workplace well-being, employee engagement, and organizational development adjacent experiences, with a focus on translating data into actionable leadership strategies. I am passionate about fostering collaboration across Southeast Asia to create healthier, more connected workplaces.