Welcome to the 2026 Edition | SFiO.org

Opening SF24 2026

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction by Annie Bordeleau

Perhaps it is the way the conversation travels, moving gently across time zones, carried by stories and moments of progress that make the SF24 Conference such a unique event. It is held within a sense of being among friends, companions in a shared endeavour to discover and evolve.

In his opening to this year’s event, Anton Stellamans captures this beautifully. He speaks of Solution Focus as a dear friend, one we return to, speak about, and rediscover time and time again. A generous and humble friend in whose company we find ourselves doing work that is both simple and profound.

Over the coming months, we will be sharing a series of Solution Focus features in organisational contexts, drawn from SF24 stories, reflections and practices. These are invitations to listen, to notice, and find something new and insightful that resonates with your own context.

Anton’s introduction offers a gentle doorway into this series. It reminds us of the spirit of the SF24 conference. We invite you to begin here, take a moment to watch and listen in to see what you notice.

Anton’s introduction offers a gentle doorway into this series. It reminds us of the spirit of the SF24 conference. We invite you to begin here, take a moment to watch and listen, and notice what stands out.

Continue the Conversation

If Anton’s talk sparked your curiosity about the article he mentions, you can explore it here, along with his original introduction.

Anton’s Introduction

Find the article “Have you heard the latest rumour about…? SF therapy as a rumor”

Listen on SoundCloud

SFiO - Solution Focus in Organisations · Anton - Intro 2026 - SF24

Transforming Legal Services

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Janine Waldman & Paul Z Jackson & Michael Graham

Introduction by John Brooker

The Summary

In this video/audio, Michael Graham, Paul Z Jackson and Janine Waldman relate a Solution Focus case study from Reading Borough Council Legal Services.

From it, you will learn simple ways to apply aspects of this project in your own work, and the outline of the programme behind it.

The core shift displayed by the case study is simple; treat each conversation as the unit of change, because when conversations change, culture follows. In this case, small shifts in everyday conversations reduced case time by two thirds, saved tens of thousands per lawyer, avoided unnecessary work, and helped generate hundreds of thousands in recovered debt.

Watch this video if you are asking:

Where could small, low-risk shifts create large gains in time, cost, or outcomes?
How can we enable people to take ownership of change in their day-to-day work, not in parallel programmes?
What conversations in our organisation most need to change, and what would better look like?

The Story

Following a major restructure, Michael Graham’s department faced low morale and pressure to perform. He invited Paul Z Jackson and Janine Waldman to help build the team and develop their leaders.

They designed a programme that combined learning with immediate application. Participants worked on their own live projects, supported by coaching and peer partners, so change happened in real work from the start.

Solution Focus was introduced at three levels:

The overall approach and stance
Practical tools
Single sentence interventions

These were woven together and the single sentence interventions gave people a low-risk way to start using SF, often using familiar tools such as scaling.

Projects were chosen by participants, some working individually, others as teams, and focused on real challenges with meaningful impact.

One solo project improved how clients prepared legal referrals. This reduced time and cost dramatically.
Another team project reduced child protection case duration to under 26 weeks, improving outcomes for children, families, and professionals.

What stands out is that the culture change spread through people, not initiatives. Short, focused conversations led to significant and systemic change, including financial gains, increased capacity, and stronger relationships.

Watch, listen and enjoy. An audio version and the presentation are also available below.

Download the slides below

The Presentation

Listen on SoundCloud

SFiO - Solution Focus in Organisations · Transforming Legal Services Final Cut

Can you Scare People Green?

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Denise Baden & Sue Lickorish

Introduction by Sue Lickorish

This was such an engaging and inspiring session to join, and I highly recommend watching it.

Weaving her multiple strands of work, Denise Baden is bringing SF into play in personal, actionable ways for some of our biggest shared challenges.

She begins by evidencing how we are more inspired by positive role models of climate action than by scary stories. She goes on to share creative ways to engage pp with climate communication and encourage personal action.

I see Denise as a real-life action heroine: an academic, activist, climate-fiction-writer and visionary, she doesn’t just talk it, she’s DOING it. I was blown-away inspired by this positive role model for SF and climate action.

I left with hope in my heart and a skip in my step. I hope you do too.

Download Denise's slides below

The assumption behind many climate communications is that to report on any positive progress would lead to complacency, and that if people know how bad things will be if they don’t act now, then we will all give up flying, go vegan and campaign for climate policies.

In this presentation, I explore the evidence for such assumptions drawing upon my research in contexts such as news journalism, education and climate fiction. Results indicate that solution-focused narratives are more effective than problem-focused narratives at inspiring behaviour change, and less prone to unintended consequences. I finish with examples of how the findings apply to other issues too, and some do’s and don’ts for effective communication.

The Presentation

Listen on SoundCloud

SFiO - Solution Focus in Organisations · Can You Scare People Green? SF24/26

What's Your URP

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What's Your URP? – Andrew Gibson's book reviewed by

Dion Sing

After retrieving my food, I finally find a seat in a busy ‘budget’ airport (wishing I’d spent the few extra bucks for the not busy one). A lady sitting next to me commiserates about her delayed flight. I ask her where she’s heading, only to discover we’re on the same (delayed) flight – I am now really wishing I’d booked the other airline. In conversation, she asks how I find and engage clients, and I recommend What’s Your URP? to her. A few days later, I receive this message: “THE book! Almost life changing.”

In the entrepreneurial, consulting, and business world, there is a lot of pressure to build a “brand” and an “audience” or a “following” to attract and “funnel” people who may be interested in buying your services. Although there definitely are ethical approaches to this and reasons you may want to, this approach has never been a fit for me or my business. In What’s Your URP?, (Unique Referral Point), Gibson maps out an approach that focuses on bringing value to the people you help, value to people who might refer your services, and in turn, value to yourself.

It moves beyond self-promotion toward finding your unique way to contribute to the world, and connecting with people who will benefit from your contribution.

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

— Zig Ziglar

Who will benefit most from this book?

This book is for anyone who would like to enjoy a seven-day weekend. Gibson introduces us to the idea that if we find fulfilment in the work we do and in the people we work with, then we’re not just surviving the work week to enjoy the weekends, we’re enjoying a seven-day weekend. People who are self-employed or in business are likely to benefit the most, although there are definite applications for employees seeking to align their work with their values in how they help others. Whether you are a plumber, therapist, or glue salesperson (that was the lady in the airport), this book offers something useful. If you are a business coach or consultant helping people grow or establish their business, the book is full of ideas ready to be applied in that context.

What can you expect from this book?

Gibson’s ethical, Solution Focused approach shines throughout as he guides the reader through a process of discovering what you’re good at, how you can use this to help others, and how to make a living by connecting with those who will benefit most from your services. The book is full of practical examples and metaphors that make the ideas accessible, alongside engaging stories that bring the concepts to life. He takes the reader through thinking exercises; identifying who you help, how you help them, and why they would be willing to pay for your services. What’s Your URP? will help you clarify how you talk about your work, giving you greater opportunities to connect with people who can benefit and pay for what you offer. “What do you do?”
“I’m an accountant.”

“What do you do?”
“I’m a social worker.” (End of conversation.)

Versus:

“What do you do?”
“I help small businesses pay less tax.”

This introduction allows the person you’re talking with to think, “Oh, I’m in small business, I want to pay less tax,” or “I know someone who would like to pay less tax,” prompting them to refer you on. I appreciate Gibson’s emphasis on win–win business relationships. His values shine clearly through his approach to building business relationships that benefit everyone involved. Gibson’s writing invites us to think about how we bring value into the world, and how we might benefit in the process.

Cultivating stakeholder relationships

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Stefan Kreil & Patricia Crazzolara

Watch on YouTube

Introduced by Eva Rampini

Smuggling solution focused ways of working into a company without them even noticing, is one of my favourite things to do when working as a project manager. This is why I really like the stakeholder relationship tool that Stefan Kreil has developed with input from many of his SF friends.

He uses a well-known project management tool, the stakeholder matrix, and adds a solution focused relationship sheet. And there you go: you get a tool to understand and cultivate your relationships with your stakeholders in a SF way.

Stefan presented his tool together with his colleague Patricia Crazzolara at the SF 24 HR global online conference in May 2024.

In this video they explain how they use the tool and how it has helped them to bring their projects to a success. They will walk you through:

the matrix plus the relationship sheet …
how they use the tool online …
a real life example …
how to build on existing good relationships …

Stefan’s usual projects, he says, are IT projects, “where thousands of people are somehow involved, but none of them say, how they can work together…, so this is how we usually start to try to find a way to cultivate this kind of relationship that is needed”.

Patricia explains why the tool is also helpful, if you are in a position with low visibility: “It’s about positive gossiping and about leveraging and identifying those people who can influence people that you … do not have that influence to”.

In essence the tool can be used to “identify those people who help you to be successful”, says Stefan.

Have a look yourself!

Welcome to the 2026 Edition | SFiO.org

Opening SF24 2026

Introduction by Annie Bordeleau

Continue the Conversation

Listen on SoundCloud

Transforming Legal Services

Introduction by John Brooker

The Summary

The Story

Download the slides below

Listen on SoundCloud

Can you Scare People Green?

Introduction by Sue Lickorish

Download Denise's slides below

Listen on SoundCloud

What's Your URP

What's Your URP? – Andrew Gibson's book reviewed by

Who will benefit most from this book?

What can you expect from this book?

Cultivating stakeholder relationships

Introduced by Eva Rampini

This video was filmed during SF24/2024. With thanks to the organisers for permission to feature this edited version.