Convergence | SFiO.org

The Power of Glimmers

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

Introduction by Yi Feng Khoo

When was the last time you went glimmer-hunting?

Victoria Spashchenko (Ukraine) and Julia Kalenberg (Switerland) invite us into a heart-opening session where micro-moments of safety, joy and connection gently reshape our nervous systems. Positive sensory experiences serve as the functional opposite of triggers.

What moved me most was Victoria’s perspective on finding glimmers during ‘dark times,’ such as hearing birdsong during a pause in shelling in Ukraine. By exercising our muscle of noticing, we can facilitate emotional healing and preferred change.

In this video, you’ll explore the ‘Glimmer Hunt’ and the ‘Bean Experiment,’ practical tools which help clients (and ourselves!) anchor hope using all five senses. Want to add a somatic, soulful layer to your SF practice and learn how to create a ripple effect of glimmers? This session is a must-watch.

Now, back to glimmer hunting in my photo gallery and journaling! Join me?

Short presentation & learning experience

Glimmers, a term pioneered by Deb Dana, are small positive cues that help our nervous system feel safe and connected. They often appear quietly—sunlight on a surface, a familiar sound, a kind smile—yet they can make a powerful difference in how connected, grounded and resourceful we feel.

In this session, Victoria and Julia introduce the concept of Glimmering, share how they use Glimmering personally and professionally — and demonstrate how well it works with a solution-focused approach.

Participants will explore their own Glimmers through simple exercises, noticing what already supports them and how small moments can create meaningful shifts. They will leave with practical ideas to spark a gentle, positive ripple effect in their daily lives and work.

The Presentation

Listen on SoundCloud

SFiO - Solution Focus in Organisations · The Power of Glimmers

The Interview on Glimmers at the SOLWorld Conference in 2025

Practicing Glimmers for Resilience and Wellbeing – with Victoria Spashchenko

Glimmers are those little sparks of joy or calm we sometimes overlook — like the scent of a flower, the sound of rain, or a smile from someone we like. They’re the gentle opposite of triggers. Instead of weighing us down, they lighten us up. When we notice these moments, our bodies relax, our minds settle, and we feel more connected. In this lovely interview, Victoria explains glimmering to Annie and how we can generate glimmers more often.

Feel like a glimmer now? Take a look at Victoria’s presentation.
Download her session presentation here.
And read her article in JSFP:
Practising Glimmering on: journalsfp.org

Video:

Listen on SoundCloud:

Good practices in the public sector

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Lien Tettelin

Synopsis

Lien Tettelin’s open space session on “Good practices in the public sector” focused on strategies for enhancing organisational sustainability. The session explored how public sector entities can integrate sustainability into their decision-making processes, develop relevant strategies and KPIs, and redefine notions of profit to encompass social benefits.

Critical strategies discussed included starting conversations around the environmental impacts of decisions, such as carbon footprints, and developing targeted strategies for sectors with the most significant potential impact.

Participants examined the economic advantages of sustainability, such as awards recognition, easier recruitment due to an enhanced sense of purpose, and operational improvements like wastewater treatment and inclusive employment practices.

The session also highlighted the importance of adopting independent energy sources, implementing transparent reporting systems to create benchmarks, and using retrospectives to learn and plan for the future.

On a more individual level, the discussions emphasised cultivating a culture of servant leadership and supporting innovative ideas from employees to drive sustainable changes. It stressed the importance of reorganising public sector operations to be more sustainable through facilitated discussions on stretch thinking, challenging existing assumptions, and envisioning impactful changes.

Attendees also discussed the role of management in fostering a curious and supportive environment, encouraging the sharing of success stories and small, actionable steps toward sustainability.

The workshop advocated for transforming the narrative from focusing on problems to highlighting gains and employing solution-focused conversations and mindsets to effect and recognise positive changes already occurring within the organisation. This approach aims to create a more hopeful and cooperative atmosphere conducive to sustainable development.

Original workshop output

Company level

Starting a conversation about how decisions for companies are made (carbon footprint, etc.) and developed into strategy and KPIs:

They win prizes Easier recruitment A sense of purpose:

Cleaning wastewater
Social aspects (e.g. people with disabilities)
Transportation and parking

=> Developing strategy: Choose sectors where to introduce sustainability first and what has the most impact => economic tension > Create a business case and advantage EG independent energy sources => Redefining what profit means in the public sector… social profit… public sector needs to make “profit” > how to spend budget => Introducing transparent reporting system > creating benchmark within public sector => Use retrospectives to learn from the past, such as “How can we learn for the future?”

People level

Conversations about company values/servant/host leadership and supporting ideas of employees.

Useful conversations

How could we (re)organise the Public sector to be more sustainable?: => “What would it look like?” Facilitate stretch thinking, specific => “What assumptions are we holding?” Facilitate getting clearer, “What do, e.g. “16 sustainability goals mean for us?” => “How can we change the world ?” Make it exciting, focus on hope and co-create.

Starting the conversations

There are many ways to start the process/conversation, e.g. 7 generations down. Process: Organise a sustainable venue, hold workshops, measure carbon, and measure more.

The CONTEXT-

“What are enablers?” “What can be done differently?” Encourage top management to be curious to know what is happening Have people in the organisation bring examples and stories: “This change is already present: “What are the tiny steps we can implement?” e.g. sustainable meetings How do we change the conversations we have between the noses? Make the change easier (not more difficult/problem focused) by looking at what is already there. Replace “pains” with “gains” > 3rd person approach, study behaviour SF 1st person approach, “I have a conversation about, “Do we take the train to our next destination/holiday?”. “Being” the change, creating hope, using SF conversation, mindset and language. “See the change that is already there” and give it room to breathe/expand. ∞Balance for mutual gain

Seeing the connections

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Netta Jakola

Synopsis

The diagram illustrates the interconnected relationship between three key aspects of sustainability: Environment, Economy, and Equity (or Social dimension).

Here’s a breakdown of the visual elements and their meanings:

Environment: This represents the natural world and is fundamental to sustainability. It emphasises the importance of preserving natural resources and minimising environmental impact.
Economy: This aspect focuses on the financial and economic factors that must be sustainable to support long-term prosperity and stability.
Equity/Social: This refers to social justice and fairness, ensuring that benefits and responsibilities are distributed equitably among all members of society.
Arrows: The arrows between each component indicate a two-way relationship, suggesting that each dimension influences and is influenced by the others.
Central Question: “Balance between dimensions?” This question at the centre of the diagram raises the critical point of how organisations can balance these three dimensions to achieve overall sustainability.

This diagram encapsulates the complex interplay between environmental integrity, economic health, and social equity, which organisations must harmonise to foster a sustainable future.

First Peoples Principles of Learning

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Annie Bordeleau

Synopsis

In this Open Space session, the group explored the British Columbia First Nations Principles of Learning to discover just how deeply intertwined they are with the Solution Focus (SF) approach and our efforts to create a more sustainable world. These Principles are shown below:

Exploring the Principles

Here we explore the Principles in more depth from two perspectives - sustainability and Solution Focus. We also suggest example questions the SF practitioner might ask.

Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.

Sustainable perspective: By emphasising the well-being of self, family, community, land, spirits, and ancestors, learning fosters a multi-dimensional perspective that values not just economic growth but environmental stewardship and social welfare. This holistic view encourages practices that benefit all aspects of life and supports sustainable development goals, including social equity, economic stability, and environmental preservation.

SF perspective: SF emphasises the importance of seeing individuals in the context of their relationships and environments, aligning with the principle that learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational. This view reflects the SF belief that solutions are found through individual effort and within a network of relationships and community contexts.

SF challenge: How can we broaden the context we explore with our clients? Can we explore more multi-generational questions?

Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).

Sustainable perspective: Learning that is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational places a strong emphasis on connectedness and reciprocal relationships. This approach nurtures a sense of belonging and responsibility towards one’s community and environment, fostering sustainable behaviors that consider the impacts of actions on current and future generations.

SF perspective: This reflects the SF belief that solutions are found not just through individual effort but within a network of relationships and community contexts.

SF challenge: How can we continue refining our interconnected way of exploring interactions and what happens between the noses?

Example:

Q: What is different?

A: ”My colleague calls me when he has a question.”

Q: How does he start the call?

A: “He connects with me in a friendly way.”

Q: And how do you respond?

A: “With an enthusiastic, ‘Hello, so happy you called!’”

Q: And how does your colleague respond to your enthusiasm?

A: “He probably feels a little surprised and says something like: “Yes, I have a few questions regarding the project. Do you have any time for me?” -

Q: And you say?…

Learning involves recognising the consequences of one’s actions.

Sustainable perspective: Recognising the consequences of one’s actions is fundamental to sustainability. This principle teaches that each decision can have far-reaching effects on the environment and society, thus encouraging more thoughtful and responsible choices that aim to minimise negative impacts.

SF perspective: SF practices focus on the future implications of present actions, similar to the principle that learning involves recognising the consequences of one’s actions.

SF challenge: How can we explore ‘preferred futures’ or use scaling questions to assess the potential outcomes of different choices?

Learning involves generational roles and responsibilities.

Sustainable perspective: Understanding generational roles and responsibilities helps to pass on traditional knowledge and sustainable practices. This understanding ensures that each generation contributes to the conservation and improvement of resources, preserving them for future use.

SF perspective: Solution Focus (SF) involves generational roles and responsibilities by acknowledging different generations’ unique contributions and insights to problem-solving contexts. By doing so, SF supports the transmission of knowledge and roles across generations, ensuring that interventions are relevant and grounded in the lived experiences of all participants.

SF challenge: How do we weave our learning into our experience? How do we tap into our generational wisdom to create better futures?

Learning recognises the role of indigenous knowledge.

Sustainable perspective: Indigenous knowledge systems often encompass sustainable practices honed over centuries and tailored to local environments and communities. Recognising the role of this knowledge not only helps preserve biodiversity and cultural diversity but also allows us to learn from proven sustainable practices.

SF perspective: SF recognises the value of diverse perspectives and knowledge systems, which correlates with the principles acknowledging the role of indigenous knowledge and generational roles. This recognition is particularly relevant in contexts where traditional knowledge systems provide a rich source of solutions and understanding.

SF challenge: How can we tune into our client’s traditional knowledge and wisdom?

Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story

Sustainable perspective: Embedding learning in memory, history, and story allows for the preservation and transmission of lessons learned from the past, including successes and failures in managing natural resources. This embedding can guide present and future actions towards more sustainable outcomes.

SF perspective: SF often uses the client’s narrative to shape solutions, which dovetails with the principle that learning is embedded in memory, history, and story. Stories are pivotal in SF practices as they help individuals and groups construct meaning and identify pathways to their goals.

SF challenge: We do this a lot already. How can we unlock more of our resourceful memories and stories that illuminate the path forward?

Learning involves patience and time.

Sustainable perspective: Sustainability is a long-term goal that requires patience and time. Learning that embraces these elements is likely to support gradual changes and improvements, avoiding the pitfalls of quick fixes that may lead to unsustainable outcomes.

SF perspective: SF acknowledges that change does not happen instantaneously but requires time and persistence, mirroring the principle that learning involves patience and time. Practitioners design SF interventions to foster gradual, sustainable change and development.

SF challenge: How do we bring patience and time to our conversations? What role does silence play in our interactions?

Learning requires exploration of one’s identity.

Sustainable perspective: By exploring one’s identity, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of their place within the community and the natural world, enhancing their commitment to sustainable practices that respect cultural and environmental contexts.

SF perspective: The principle that learning requires exploration of one’s identity is central to SF, which often involves exploring personal strengths and identities to leverage these to achieve goals.

SF challenge: How do we encourage individuals to envision their best selves and identify actions that align with this ideal? How do we best redefine their narratives in ways that highlight capabilities and resilience, fostering a more positive and dynamic identity?

Learning involves recognising that some knowledge is sacred and only shared with permission and/or in certain situations.

Sustainable perspective: Sacred Knowledge: Recognising that some knowledge is sacred and shared only under specific conditions helps protect sensitive information and cultural values. This respect for boundaries and contexts can prevent exploitation and promote sustainability through careful stewardship.

SF perspective: SF practices are sensitive to the contexts and cultures within which they operate, similar to the principle recognising that some knowledge is sacred and shared only with permission. This respect for the boundaries and ethics of knowledge sharing is integral to SF methods.

SF challenge: How do we recognise cultural differences and boundaries? How do we invite knowledge to be shared with permission and respect?

These connections highlight how SF complements and enriches these learning principles by providing a respectful, client-centred framework that aligns with the values embedded in these principles. This framework makes SF particularly useful in diverse and multicultural settings where honouring community wisdom, relational learning, and ethical considerations are paramount.

Thoughts from conversation

We can only act locally; sustainability means different things in different contexts.

Learning is creation, not consumption

Noticing and Listening

Creating space = our land;

Connecting to our land - to the complexity of our local reality = act

Weaving learning into the experience - knowing is static - learning is creating

History and ancestry - Self in relationship to the future