Product Description

Positive Approaches to Change - the first Solutions Focus fieldbook.

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 Szabó, Günter 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

This book is part of the Solutions Focus at Work Series (Mark McKergow and Jenny Clarke, series editors)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #212340 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-31
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Synopsis
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.

From the Inside Flap
`Vital for anyone interested in the next generation of change technology in organisations. Buy it now.' Tim Andrews, author of `Where's Your Spotlight?'

`An exceptional collection of international articles on positive approaches to individual and organisational development… These proven, stimulating ideas can be put to immediate practical use by the reader.'
Terry Gibson, Managing Editor, Organisations & People

`A marvellous ensemble of practical articles continuing the worldwide movement towards an appreciative approach to change.'
Neil Samuels, Senior Consultant, BP

Customer Reviews

Focusing on solutions

`Positive Approaches To Change' is a great practical hands-on book offering a wide variety of articles written by established practitioners in Solutions Focused change management, coaching and consulting. What is striking about the book is the sheer generosity of the practitioners here in sharing simple and powerful tools, tips and techniques that have worked for them with business clients and organisations. In fact it's a book that I find myself frequently returning to, and its short chapter approach by different writers lends itself to the reader being able to dip in and quickly gain key insights into coaching or appraisal rating, as well as reading in more depth. As such the book is an excellent introduction for those who want to get a flavour of what the Solutions Focused movement is all about and of the benefits of taking a Solutions Focused approach to change.

The book shows a comprehensive range of applications of Solutions Focused approach to the workplace, and I personally have found many ideas such as reflecting teams that I have applied to my organisation and those of my clients. I particularly liked Günter Lueger's novel but simple approach to appraisals which by making a few change to traditional appraisal systems enable managers to motivate and get the best they could hope for from their teams. The opening chapter by Mark McKergow is also the best introduction I have come across to understanding why many traditional approaches to change management unintentionally tend to focus on the negative and get bogged down in over analysis of the problem, whereas instead a solutions focus on what is working often brings about the change you want sooner, easier and more enjoyably.

The 13 different chapters mean that there is something for everyone, but also some things that at first glance seem less useful. However on re-reading these I have found ideas and tools on strategic planning and managing teams that are now integral to how I work.

Overall, as a practical resource for coaches, trainers, facilitators and managers, this is the best I have found. There are even tips on how to improve my tennis.