1. Strength-Based, Solution-Focused Leadership
University of Pittsburgh,
School Of Social Work
The Pennsylvania Child Welfare
Training Program
June E. Fisher, LSW

2. Miracle Question
Imagine IF…overnight something happen to all the staff at the agency…
Then…you woke up and came to work the next day and everyone was cooperative and wanting to find solutions together to resolve any agency challenges.

3. Follow-Up Questions
How would you notice that something was different at the agency? What might other staff at the agency notice different about the agency? What would be different for you? Who might notice that something was different for you? What would that be like?

4. Past Successes Question
Can you recall a time at the agency when overall staff was motivated to work together to develop solutions for the agency?

5. Follow-Up Questions
When was that time? What do you think motivated staff at that time? What resources did you have that lead to staff motivation? Who were the leaders?

6. Scaling Questions On a scale of 1 to 10,
1 being things will always be the same as now
10 being you know the agency will be exactly like you would like in 1 year,
What number would you give your agency’s ability to change?

7. Follow-Up Questions
What does your number look like? What would you need to improve your number by 1 or 2 points? Have you had success in the past obtaining what you would need to improve your number? What might result in lowering your number by 1 or 2 points?

8. Agenda
Explain, Demonstrate, Skill Practice and Feedback of Strength-Based, Solution-Focused Techniques
Evaluation and Next Steps

9. Objectives: When you leave this training you will:
Connect the Strength-Based, Solution-Focused approach with leadership tasks; and
Identify when and how to use the following skills when leading organizational change efforts:
Facilitating a positive vision of the future;
Identifying strengths in a problem situation;
Exploring past successes,
Scaling questions;
Encouraging commitment; and
Developing action steps.

10. Solution-Focused Core Principle
If what you are doing doesn’t work, stop doing it and do something else. If what you are doing is working, do more of it.

11. The Child Welfare Undercurrent
“A change to a different way of thinking.”

12. Success Funnel to See Success
Learning to ask questions in such a way that assists individuals and groups to recognize strengths and successes.
Success

13. Miracle Past Successes Scaling/Follow-Up
Types of Strength-Based, Solution-Focused Strategies/Questions We will Learn and Practice
Miracle
Past Successes
Scaling/Follow-Up

14. Follow-up -Practice again at the agency – It’s up to you!
How We Will Learn So We Can Incorporate Techniques Into Our Practice TOMORROW
Explain - What is the technique, how will it help me and staff.
Demonstrate – How do I do it?
Practice – Let me try this.
Feedback – This is what I did right. This is what I can improve.
Follow-up -Practice again at the agency – It’s up to you!

15. Miracle Question
The “Miracle Question” is the opening piece of the process of developing well- formed goals. It provides an opportunity to think about an unlimited range of possibilities for change. It begins to move the focus away from current and past problems and toward a more satisfactory future.

16. Miracle Question
It literally asks individuals/groups to disregard current challenges and for a moment, imagine what it would be like in a successful future. It creates a vivid image or vision of what things will be like when a problem is solved and develops hope that things can be improved.

17. What You May Learn by Using this Technique:
If individuals/groups can visualize and even begin to see the solution to the problem;
If they have any hope; and
If they want an improved situation.

18. Example Miracle Question
 ”Now, I want to ask you a question. Suppose that while you are sleeping tonight and the entire house is quiet, a miracle happens. The miracle is that DPW decreased the paperwork requirements for agencies.”

19. Example Miracle Question
“However, because you are sleeping, you don’t know that the miracle has happened. So, when you wake up and go to work tomorrow morning, what will be different that will tell you that a miracle has happened and the paper work requirements have been decreased by half?”
(adapted from de Shazer, 1988)

20. Miracle Question Key possible follow-up questions:
If the miracle happened, what will be the first change you will notice?
If it occurred, what would you notice different around the agency?
What desired future state would like for your agency?
How would this miracle improve the services you provide to children and families?
What would clients notice is different?
Would you be willing to work with your team to make part of this miracle come true?

21. Miracle Question Skill Practice
On a flip chart sheet, each table group complete the following:
Think of the desired future state you would like for your agency.
Develop 1 miracle question that you could use with your management team to assist them to envision the end state.
Write at least 2 possible follow- up questions.

22. Past Successes Questions
 By focusing on past successes, you can learn when things were functioning well.
The goal is to help individuals and groups draw on their successes so they can use those successes upon which to build.
It is empowering for individuals and groups to realize that there was/are times when success is experienced.  

23. Past Successes Question
 Was there a time when the agency was required to implement a new practice and did so successfully?
Key possible follow-up questions:
What was the key to the success?
What existing resources were used to be successful?
What do you think the agency would need to be successful with implementing a new program?

24. What You May Learn by Using this Technique:
The strengths, resources, and supports that can lead to success. Those strengths, resources and supports that can be transferred and used again. Both you and staff will learn about what may work to improve a situation.

25. Past Successes Skill Practice
On a flip chart sheet, each table group complete the following:
Develop 1 Past Successes Question that you could use with your management team.
Write at least 2 possible follow-up questions.

26. Scaling Questions
Scaling Questions are a clever way to make complex features of a situation more concrete and accessible for both you and your staff.  

27. Scaling Questions
Scaling Questions can be used to assess confidence, commitment, and optimism and to prioritize problems.

28. Scaling Questions
They can also be used over a period of time to assist you and staff in assessing the level of change that may have or may not have occurred.

29. Scaling Questions
Accompanying follow- up questions can be used to develop action steps and encourage staffs’ commitment.

30. Scaling Questions
They usually take the form of asking an individual/group to give a number from 1-10.
The number represents where an individual is at some specified point.
Ten (10) is the positive end of the scale, so higher numbers are equated with higher levels of confidence or commitment.
It is critical that you provide anchors for each end of the scale.

31. Example of a Scaling Question
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 meaning you have every confidence and 1 meaning that you have no confidence at all, how confident are you that you will be able to use Strength-Based, Solution-Focused questions after this training?
Key possible follow-up questions:
What might increase your number a point or two?
What might decrease your number a point or two?

32. What You May Learn by Using this Technique:
How others view a situation;
How various people in a group may view a situation;
What is needed to increase success (action steps) and what barriers may impact success; and
That you are increasing staffs’ commitment to change.

33. Skill Practice
Following the example that was provided, on a flip chart sheet, each table group;
Develop a Scaling Question that you could use to determine commitment to agency change.
Develop at least 2 follow- up questions.

34. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Berg, Insoo Kim; Kelly, Susan (2000). Building Solutions in Child Protective Services. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN X.
Berg, Insoo Kim (1994). Family Based Services: A Solution-Focused Approach. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN X.
DeJong, Peter; Berg, Insoo Kim (1998). Interviewing for Solutions. California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. ISBN
Shazer, SD. (1982) Patterns of Brief Family Therapy: An Ecosystemic Approach. Guilford Press.
NASW Code of Ethics, Revised 1999.

35. Solution -Focused Brief Therapy Association
Web Resource:
Solution -Focused Brief Therapy Association
Go to “Research Page” and download SFBT treatment manual for working with individuals. Website also includes links to Solution-Focused research and outcome studies.