Brief Solution
Focused
Techniques for
Mentoring
Mentoring CPD &
Supervision
What is S.F.T
• Solution Focused means
– Brief intervention
– Focuses on solution, not the
problem
– Works with mentee’s reality
of their situation
– Draws on the mentee’s past
strategies for solving
problems, elicited through
reflecting on ‘exceptions’ –
success when they have
acted differently.
How it works
• Identify goals
–
–
–
–
Specific
Realistic
Achievable
Elicited by the ‘Miracle
Question’
• Look for ‘exceptions’
– Identify times when a
mentee has used different
approaches and these have
been successful.
• Scaling Questions
– How bad is a situation on a
scale of 1-10 and what needs
to change to alter the rating
Structuring a
Session
• O.S.K.A.R
– This provides a method to
evaluate what a mentee
wants and does not want,
whilst evaluating the skills
and resources they require
• Outcomes – Goal
identifications, refining using
Miracle Questions
• Scaling – Rating the mentee’s
view
• Know- how and resources –
using exceptions
• Affirmation & Action – using
exceptions
• Review
Useful Tools
• Reflection
– Pre-session – identify
exceptions
– Between session – what was
useful
– In session – scaling
• What Else?
– What will be different
between 5 & 6? What else?...
What else?... What else?
• I don’t know
– Imaging you did know….
– Who would know? What
would they advise/ suggest
Continued
• You freeze up - remember
GEMS
–
–
–
–
Goals
Exceptions
Miracle Questions
Scaling
• Pitfalls
– Don’t be too solution focused
• Don’t push if a mentee is not ready
to find a solution
• Thing of other options, solutions
or techniques
– Don’t be problem phobic
• People may need to tell their story
– Pollyanna Syndrome
• Don’t be too positive, it may seem
disingenuous
– Badly formed goals
Exercise One
• Mentee
– Identify a problem and work
with your mentor to solve that
problem
• Mentor
– Use O.S.K.A.R to work with
your mentee. So you will:
• Goal set and explore the situation
with Miracle Question (Outcomes)
• Reflect on the situation and
possible change (Scaling)
• Use exceptions. Explore
situations when mentee has solved
a problem (Know how and
Resources)
• Later we will discuss ‘Affirmation
and Action’ and ‘Review’