Mastering the art of solution-focused counseling by Jeffrey Guterman

Today I received a copy of the second edition of Mastering the art of solution-focused counseling by Jeffrey Guterman in my mail. Jeffrey is a counselor who was originally trained by Albert Ellis, the famous founder of the REBT approach (rational emotive behavior therapy). In the 1990's he shifted to the solution-focused approach. In this second edition of his book the author shares his perspective on the solution-focused counseling in a detailed manner. The book contains theoretical and historical backgrounds, references to recent research findings, case examples (including dialogues), and practical tools.

"I'd like to be able to say to myself, and believe it, that I lived a good life"

"What am I living for? What is the purpose of living on? What do I want to do with the time I have left? That kind of stuff. I'd like to be able to... I don't know whether I'll have the opportunity or not... to say on my deathbed (this picture of one dying, surrounded by friends and family...who knows? It may never happen that way). I'd like to be able to say I had a good life. And what's the definition of a good life? I made some difference. That's it. If I could just say that. I've made some difference because I've been here in this world. Life is a little bit better and I contributed to that. I think that would be a good life. I'm getting tearful about that because I think it's really important. I'd like to be able to say that to myself, and believe it, that I lived a good life. I don't know if I'm going to do that or not. We'll see."

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Intelligence is not one-dimensional - forget about IQ

Fractionating Human Intelligence
By Adam Hampshire, Roger Highfield, Beth Parkin, & Adrian Owen

Abstract: What makes one person more intellectually able than another? Can the entire distribution of human intelligence be accounted for by just one general factor? Is intelligence supported by a single neural system? Here, we provide a perspective on human intelligence that takes into account how general abilities or “factors” reflect the functional organization of the brain. By comparing factor models of individual differences in performance with factor models of brain functional organization, we demonstrate that different components of intelligence have their analogs in distinct brain networks. Using simulations based on neuroimaging data, we show that the higher-order factor “g” is accounted for by cognitive tasks corecruiting multiple networks. Finally, we confirm the independence of these components of intelligence by dissociating them using questionnaire variables. We propose that intelligence is an emergent property of anatomically distinct cognitive systems, each of which has its own capacity.

Highlights: ► We propose that human intelligence is composed of multiple independent components ► Each behavioral component is associated with a distinct functional brain network ► The higher-order “g” factor is an artifact of tasks recruiting multiple networks ► The components of intelligence dissociate when correlated with demographic variables

Read more: Scientists Debunk the IQ Myth: Notion of Measuring One's Intelligence Quotient by Singular, Standardized Test Is Highly Misleading

More choice is not necessarily better

Research into self-determination theory has shown there is a strong connection between the degree to which people feel they can make their own choices and follow their own preferences and their well-being en healthy functioning.  Researchers argue that supporting autonomy of individuals is therefore a good thing (see for example here, here, and here).

The solution-focused approach also emphasizes individuals' agency and freedom of choice. In the solution-focused approach therapists and coaches help clients define their own preferred future and help them choose steps forward. Also, as much as possible clients' preferences are followed in the way therapist/coaches and clients work together. When clients are not self-motivated for therapy or coaching the therapist of coach deliberately emphasizes client-choice (see this article for why that is and how it works).

While more choice is generally a good thing a closer look shows a more nuanced picture. Both within self-determination theory and in solution-focused therapy and coaching it is recognized that autonomy and freedom of choice is limited. For instance, this article describes how to combine structure with autonomy. Also it is recognized that not every type of choice is good for a person and that a rethoric of freedom does not by definition result in more freedom.

The video below shows an even more detailed picture of the effects of increasing choice. Barry Schwartz explains that increasing choice by adding options can make us worse off for two reasons. A first disavantage of offering more choice is paralysis: we can become stressful and feel unable to choose. A second disadvantage is that when we have chosen we can feel less satisfied because we have chosen from a large set of options. Even when we feel we have chosen the best option we tend to keep on thinking about all the other wonderful options we have said no to.

The Reciprocity Ring

In a new book, Give and Take, written by Adam Grant, I read about an exercise which was developed by Wayne and Cheryl Baker of Humax. The exercise is called The Reciprocity Ring and it can be used in any group such as a family, a class or a team in an organization. it works as follows. Each member of the group makes a request to the rest of the group and all the other group members use their knowledge, resources, and connections to help fulfill that request. The approach has several interesting strengths:

1. As Grant explains research shows that at work, the vast majority of giving that occurs between people is in response to direct requests for help. Yet most people are rather reluctant to ask for help. The Reciprocity Ring, as a structured exercise makes it easier to ask for help. Since everybody asks for help there is no need for embarrassment. This alone makes it more likely that people in the group will start helping each other. 
2. People who are already inclined to help and to share are helped by the exercise because the explicit requests give them a sense of direction and help them understand how they can help effectively. 
3. Surprisingly, also people who are normally less inclined to help others, tend to be quite generous during the Reciprocity Ring Exercise. This happens because the process of helping is public. They usually realize that not helping and giving would make them look selfish and unfriendly which would be bad for their reputation. Therefore they tend help and give too. 

This exercise creates a context in a group in which helping and giving becomes easier and more desirable. 

What work engagement is

In this post I mentioned some questions about work engagement. Now, here are some answers about what work engagement is, what causes it, and what benefits is has.

1. What is work engagement?

Work engagement is a fulfilling state of mind of people at work which is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption (ref). Vigor refers to the energy, effort, persistence, and resilience; dedication refers to involvement, sense of significance ,  enthusiasm, inspiration, pride, and challenge; absorption refers to concentration, happy engrossment in one's work, feeling that time passes quickly and finding it hard to detach oneself from work.

2. What are work engagement's benefits?

Work engagement is associated with workers’ creativity, their inclination to help colleagues, their organizational citizenship behaviors (ref; ref) and their mental health (ref). Also, clients of engaged workers tend to be more satisfied (ref).

3. How stable is work engagement?

Rather than being only simply an enduring state of mind of workers, work engagement tends to fluctuate on a weekly or even daily basis (ref; ref; ref).

4. Which factors affect work engagement?

Work engagement is affected by both contextual factors, such as the social support, performance feedback, job control, task variety and learning opportunities (ref), daily fluctuations in autonomy, supervisory coaching, and team atmosphere (ref) and personal factors such as self-efficacy, organizational based self-esteem, resilience (ref), how well rested workers go to work (ref; ref) and how well they are able to recover from stress during the day by taking breaks (ref) and by experiencing positive off-job social, creative, or sportive leasure activities (ref).

To summarize:

Work engagement is a worker’s state of mind which is affected by contextual and personal factors and which has many benefits for individuals and the organization as a whole.

Question: what small step could you take to improve your own work engagement and that of the people you work with?

2013 Ridley Lecture: Carol Dweck on Student Mindsets

Beliefs are tied to actions and their consequences

We often focus a lot on what we want to be able to do and on what results we want to achieve. And we have good reason to do so. A clear picture of what we want to be able to do and what we want to achieve can be very motivating. A clear idea about our desired situation gives us something to focus our energy on.

But there is something else which is also very important to focus on: our beliefs about reality. The reason is that beliefs are tied to actions and their consequences. For example, when we don't believe that it will ever be possible to improve a relationship with another person we will probably not put much effort into improving it. When we believe that we are not smart enough to learn something, we won't do our best to learn it. Our beliefs can constrain us and liberate us.

What we believe does not have be carved in stone. While it is certainly possible to try to hold on to our beliefs and to defend them against any attacks it is also possible to develop our beliefs. We can do this by viewing our belief system as a dynamic system. Our belief system can be seen as something that can evolve throughout our life and which can mature and improve and become more realistic and useful. We certainly don't have to abruptly let go of everything we believe. But we can start researching our beliefs and by perhaps challenging them a bit. Over time, our belief system may substantially change for the good.

My beliefs about people, about change processes and about the process of helping people have changed quite a bit over the years. This change happened gradually so that I could get used to and adapt to these new ways of thinking and so that I could test them. The way I experience my work life has been become better because of it.

Our beliefs can evolve and improve. Our beliefs are tied to our actions and their consequences. How we continue to develop them is quite important.

Superstition

Questions and ideas about work engagement

Since I started to study the concept of work engagement and have started to discuss it with friends and colleagues I have come across some interesting questions about and views on work engagement (thanks Caroline Heijmans, Xander Cladder and Gyuri Vergouw). I find it interesting to learn about these questions and views because I plan to learn more about the concept in the coming period. Here are some questions and views that were mentioned:

1. Who is responsible for work engagement? 
2. If there is a responsibility for organizations, is it really possible to improve workers' work engagement? 
3. Isn't work improving engagement just a matter of good boss who takes time for you, challenges you and supports you when things are tough? If that is true, what is new about that? Haven't we known that for ages?
4. Work engagement is about work circumstances. How can you convince organizations to invest in better work environments (and high quality of work) so that work engagement will increase? 
5. to what extent is work engagement related to new ways of working? 
6. How does diversity at work influence work engagement?
7. How does long distance cooperation in multinational organizations (through teleconferencing, group ware etc.) influence work engagement?  
8. Work engagement has some negative aspects. Engaged workers can be focused too much on themselves and their own career. 
9. The concept of work engagement is less unambiguous than a concept like commitment.  

Question: What do you think about work engagement? Do you have specific questions of views?

A Day in the Life of a Happy Worker

I am currently reading A Day in the Life of a Happy Worker.

Here is a description of the book: This edited collection brings together some of the leading researchers in the study of the daily experience of work and daily well-being. The book covers both theoretical and methodological issues involved in studying workers’ well-being as it evolves on a daily basis. Interest in the topic of daily fluctuations in worker well-being has grown rapidly over the past ten years. This is partly because of advances in research and statistical methods, but also because researchers have found that the psychological processes that influence well-being play out from moment to moment, and from day to day. Topics covered in this book include:

• The theoretical basis of studying work as a series of daily episodes 
• Assessment of different components of daily well-being 
• Factors involved in the regulation of well-being at work 
• Qualitative and quantitative diary experience sampling and event reconstruction methods 
• Latent growth curve modelling of diary data 

The final chapter of the book includes a preview of how daily methods may evolve in the future. Intended as a guide for researchers with good knowledge of field research methods, the book will be particularly useful to researchers of work-related phenomena who seek to expand their knowledge of dynamic methods in field contexts, and those who want to start using these methods. It will also be of interest to students of work psychology and organisational behaviour, and related disciplines.

4 Pillars of progress-focused management

The progress-focused approach to management, as we define it, is is based on four pillars:

The solution-focused approach: progress-focused managers apply solution-focused principles and techniques both in helping employees and in directing and correcting employees when needed. They treat employees and colleagues constructively, also in challenging situations, and handle objections and resistance effectively. They take the perspective of the other person seriously and remain focused on achieving desired behaviors and results.