Archives Louis Cauffman

Steve: “OK, that’s clear. I can understand. I know that you have been doing the most difficult jobs within the department for years now. In the past few months, you have worked very hard to introduce the new employees to their jobs as smoothly and quickly as possible. Everyone admits that the past few months haven’t been easy, especially not for you, Peter. Now, you know as well as I do that there are things that you, and I, can’t change. All those changes within Solteam belong to the world of limitations. We can only accept them and learn to deal with them in the best possible way. I have noticed that you handled all the changes in as positive a way as possible. How did you manage to cope with that?”

After complimenting him, Steve subtly teaches Peter about the difference between problems and limitations He then uses a kind of “coping” question. By asking Peter how he handled his problems in the past, Steve implies that Peter has been successful in handling them. In itself, this question hides a compliment. This solution- building question gives Peter the opportunity to think, despite all the difficulties, about his strengths and resources.

Peter: “What a strange question. I was just doing my job, what else? I have never been the type that gives up. I have always kept my promises towards my employers. When I take on a job, I go for it. Up until now, I have never met a challenge that I couldn’t handle. Mind you, I am no superman. I’ve had my share of difficulties but somehow I always coped.”

Steve is trying to “join” with Peter in order to establish a cooperative relationship with him. Peter reacts favorably to Steve’s authentic and respectful approach.

Steve: “Excellent. That’s the go-getter I know. So, I’ll repeat my question: What do we have to discuss today so that our meeting will be useful to you?”

Peter: “If we were able to work together constructively like it used to be, everybody would make efforts to contribute to the greater cause of the company instead of just minding their own career. I would like to get the mandate to manage the dismantling of the old production line in my own manner. I am not a child who needs supervision. I want management to let me do my job without having to inform them about every little turn I take. I never had to do that in the past and things went fine then. But I don’t think they’ll go for that. John doesn’t trust me, and the management doesn’t support me. Since the merger everything has changed because a lot of new employees came along. I do want to give them proper training but I’m afraid they’re only interested in advancing their own careers. So, I could use your advice about what I need to do to get my team cooperating again.”

The relationship between Steve and Peter now develops into a searching relationship: Peter asks for help. He is asking for a mandate to handle the project in his way and, at the same time, he wants to rebuild the cooperative mood in the team. Although these answers are perfectly legitimate, they do not express his goals in a workable format. As we will soon see, Steve can help Peter transform his goals by asking the right questions. As their working relationship is just moving into the searching mode, Steve decides to take a little step back.

Steve: “Excellent, Peter. That’s a good start. Here we are, at your office on a Friday morning, we have only been talking for about half an hour about how we can solve your case, and you have already come up with very valuable ideas.”

Steve now uses the technique of yes-setting to increase the likelihood that Peter will continue to approach the situation positively. Steve chooses to follow the solution-focused adage: “If in a hurry, go slow!” He decides to use a scaling question.

Steve: “Peter, before we go deeper into this, can I ask you a question? If we take a scale from zero to ten, where zero stands for the moment last week when you felt that it would be better to resign and ten stands for your belief that things might not be perfect but they are good enough for you to continue working, where are you now?”

Peter: “At a two.”

Steve: “Good. What does the two mean? What has changed in the past week to get you from a zero to a two?”

Peter: “The fact that you are talking to me about how we can solve this. Even though I still don’t see what good could come out of this mess. Well, maybe also the fact that John mailed me that the management wants me to do the dismantling. Oh, and the fact that John sent me a memo to wish me ‘the best’ of luck — and especially that I haven’t heard from him or seen him since.”

Remembering James William’s famous quote: “The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook,” Steve does not react to Peter’s slightly cynical remark. He accepts all Peter’s answers even though some weren’t useful. He keeps the questioning going.

Steve: “Perfect. What would be the next small step forward?”

Peter: “I don’t know. But I do know that you ask me a lot of questions.”

Steve: “Yes, I do, and do you know why? Because the right questions bring out the solutions!”

Peter: “That’s funny. I never thought of it like that, but I must admit you have a point. There is one more thing needed, however.”

Steve: “And that is?”

Peter: “You need to be able to listen to the answers.”

With a seemingly casual remark, Steve teaches Peter the art of solution- building questions. Peter reacts favorably by going along with it. This strengthens the working relationship and introduces the solution-focused approach without their even having to talk about it.

Steve: “You are getting there, Peter, congratulations. So, you’re saying that the fact that John has at least left you alone, that the management has entrusted the dismantling to you, and that the two of us are now working on a constructive solution is worth a two. Excellent! 

(to be continued)

Read episode 7
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‘The Man in the middle’ is an excerpt from the book ‘The Solution Tango’ (and ‘Solution Focused Coaching’ e-book) by Louis Cauffman. This book presents a new approach to conquering the numerous challenges, problems, and failures that managers encounter at work, many of which are people-related. An important lesson identified in the book is that a manager must act as both the leader who provides direction for a team or company and as the coach who enables others to make the most of their skills, enabling the individual and the organization to succeed. A seven-step framework to enhance problem-solving capabilities, examples and tips, and a survival kit for sinking managers will help managers improve their people skills and learn how to approach everyday issues from a positive perspective.

The intervention

The CEO decided to ask Steve for help. Steve is vice president of the sales department. He is known for his tenacious diplomatic skills that provided him with the nickname “the gentle Pitbull.” Steve goes back a long time with Peter — so it will be no problem to get his help accepted by Peter. Jeff asks Steve to coach Peter and John in order to:

• Put Peter back on the right track.
• Get the dismantling project on track.
• Improve the cooperation between John and Peter.
• Make sure that their team keeps its sharp edge.

Steve sends the following email:

Highest priority Strictly confidential

From: Steve@solteam.com

To: Peter@solteam.com; John@solteam.com cc: Jeff@solteam.com

Re: dismantling project

Peter, John,

Jeff told me about the high-pressure situation surrounding the dismantling project. Jeff expressed his conviction that the two of you are the experts to handle this difficult project IF you cooperate. He asked me to help you steer away from counterproductivity. Jeff gave me the mandate to try and help you out. If this will not work, he will take it to the board.

I hope you both agree with this offer.

I will talk to you individually first and then I offer to coach Peter on the dismantling project.

I expect your go or no-go within 48 hours.

Strict confidentiality and discretion is vital. We will solve this problem before Solteam. suffers from it.

Hope to hear from you soon.

All emails on this topic must be copied to all parties concerned (no bcc’s please). I will do the same.

Best regards, Steve, VP Sales.

John was the first to react. He emailed Steve that it was OK for him. John sees the fact that “Peter needs a coach” as proof of the fact that he himself is “right.” He then sent Peter a short memo in which he again — but now with an undertone of sarcasm — wishes Peter “the best of luck.”

Peter took the full 48 hours to react. Then he called Steve’s secretary to make an appointment.

Steve emails everybody involved to confirm that they are in the game. He will first talk to Peter.

Meeting 1

Steve contacts Peter to make an appointment. Their first meeting is held in Peter’s office. Peter has, of course, prepared for this meeting very well. He is determined to explain the “truth” about how the company’s way of working has changed and especially about John. Peter rattles on about this for ten minutes.

Steve makes sure that Peter feels at ease by allowing him to let off steam. Steve simply listens because he knows from experience that arguing is counterproductive at this stage: people tend to cling even more tightly to their beliefs when they feel challenged. While Peter vents, Steve concentrates on little exceptions in Peter’s story about the quarrel. When he feels that Peter’s arguments are losing momentum, Steve seizes the opportunity to ask the goal-setting question that will help to point Peter’s nose in a more constructive direction.

Steve: “OK, Peter, you’ve made your point. What do you think we should discuss during this meeting so that it will be useful?” Goal setting question

Peter: “I don’t know. That is something the management has to decide. Or John, for all I care. I am doing my job and that should be enough. If they aren’t satisfied with my work, they shouldn’t pay me. I don’t know what they think is wrong with me. Haven’t I proved in the past that I can handle my job? I don’t understand why they don’t trust me with the new project. I want to complete it successfully, but they are working against me. Anyway, I don’t know what I should do differently. They should tell me if they know.”

Peter isn’t answering the question. Steve accepts this, knowing that the goal-setting question will soon steer Peter toward solutions. Steve isn’t interested in delving into the underlying causes of the problem nor will he allow himself to be seduced into the battle of who was right or wrong. He doesn’t react to Peter’s strange deduction that top management is opposing him. Thinking of the flowchart, Steve judges that Peter is currently in the position of passer-by This means that Steve’s only job for the moment is to establish a positive relationship with Peter that will allow him to work on eliciting an alternative goal.

Steve: “OK, that’s clear. I can understand. I know that you have been doing the most difficult jobs within the department for years now. In the past few months, you have worked very hard to introduce the new employees to their jobs as smoothly and quickly as possible. 

(to be continued)

Read episode 6
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‘The Man in the middle’ is an excerpt from the book ‘The Solution Tango’ (and ‘Solution Focused Coaching’ e-book) by Louis Cauffman. This book presents a new approach to conquering the numerous challenges, problems, and failures that managers encounter at work, many of which are people-related. An important lesson identified in the book is that a manager must act as both the leader who provides direction for a team or company and as the coach who enables others to make the most of their skills, enabling the individual and the organization to succeed. A seven-step framework to enhance problem-solving capabilities, examples and tips, and a survival kit for sinking managers will help managers improve their people skills and learn how to approach everyday issues from a positive perspective.

Their mutual anger and distrust caused major problems. John and Peter had been slated to work together on the new project of dismantling the production line, but it looked like the project would run into serious problems if Peter and John couldn’t reconcile. Employees began gossiping about the “bad chemistry” between their two managers.

The fight kept Peter awake at night. He came to work tired and quick- tempered. For the first time in many years he complained to his wife about work. Peter told her: “Now I understand what the saying ‘lonely at the top’ means. It’s no longer safe to talk to anybody about anything. I wonder if I should look around for a job somewhere else.”

When the budgets for the dismantling project had to be presented to the top management, Peter refused to support John’s budget proposal. In the middle of John’s presentation Peter remarked bluntly: “This proposal is rubbish. I will not work in such an unprofessional way, and I will not take any responsibility for the safety of my people who have to dismantle the production line.” John couldn’t control himself any longer. In the middle of the meeting he called Peter “an incompetent, sneaky old pig.”

The CEO was not amused. He adjourned the meeting and summoned both men to his office. A massive brawl broke out there. Jeff had to refrain himself from firing both of them on the spot. He realized the enormous strains that both managers were under. Jeff wanted to fire neither John nor Peter — they were both highly esteemed managers with proven track records. After explaining that Solteam. wasn’t a play- ground where little boys could fight over a ball, the CEO told them that he refused to stoop to such childish matters. They had to clear it up themselves.

The CEO had no choice but to inform his board of directors who immediately invited John for a meeting. They explained to him that they saw Peter as the only manager within Solteam. capable of heading up this project. Peter had built the factory that had to be dismantled: “He knows the ins and outs of the place. For safety reasons, we are convinced that Peter is the only one who should take care of the dismantling project.” John grumbled a bit (he even considered giving the management the ultimatum “Fire Peter or I will leave”), but, wisely, he kept quiet and decided to leave Peter alone. He even mailed Peter to explain the management’s point of view and wished Peter — not without double meaning — “Good luck.”

In the course of the following weeks John and Peter kept avoiding each other. However, it was clear that Peter had lost his old zest. He repeatedly expressed his doubts to his closest employees, had regular outbursts, and was late delivering project proposals. At home he also became more and more grumpy, slept very poorly, and lost some weight. He skipped his bridge evenings to work late at the office.

One day Peter was standing next to the coffee machine when the CEO walked in. Always keen on personal contact with his personnel, Jeff asked Peter how things were going. Peter blushed, started to sweat and stutter, and went to his office without the coffee. The CEO followed him and prompted him about what was going on. Peter poured his heart out: “I can’t do it anymore. Everyone is working against me. I don’t believe that the new project will succeed. I am working my butt off without any results. Maybe I should resign.” The CEO was shocked. He wasn’t used to hearing Peter talk like that. And it certainly wasn’t the kind of language used in the macho world of Solteam.

Jeff went back to his office to think about the situation. He immediately ruled out drastic changes: no one would get fired, promoted, or demoted. He still believed John and Peter were the right people in the right places for the company. But what should he do? 

(to be continued)

Read episode 5
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‘The Man in the middle’ is an excerpt from the book ‘The Solution Tango’ (and ‘Solution Focused Coaching’ e-book) by Louis Cauffman. This book presents a new approach to conquering the numerous challenges, problems, and failures that managers encounter at work, many of which are people-related. An important lesson identified in the book is that a manager must act as both the leader who provides direction for a team or company and as the coach who enables others to make the most of their skills, enabling the individual and the organization to succeed. A seven-step framework to enhance problem-solving capabilities, examples and tips, and a survival kit for sinking managers will help managers improve their people skills and learn how to approach everyday issues from a positive perspective.

About six months after the merger, top management announced a major change in strategy. A substantial part of Solteam ‘s traditional products would be discontinued and replaced by new products. This required building a new factory. This strategy change caused much tumult within the company: the large investments needed for this new factory were a heavy burden on the short-term financial forecast, the unions were worried about employment, and many of the old employees were afraid that they would be “removed” along with the old plant.

For the operations department, this strategic turn meant a great deal of extra work. After all, it wasn’t just the building of the new plant that needed to be managed — the old factory had to be dismantled, too. From a safety and environmental perspective, the dismantling of the old factory was a substantial and risk-bearing project. Top management asked Peter to head this dismantling project. John would have the overall supervision.

The conflict

The first open conflict erupted when John summoned Peter to his office. John boldly announced that he wasn’t confident that Peter could carry out the project that the management had just appointed him to. John explicitly expressed his belief that Peter was too easy on his employees and especially on the external contractors. Peter was shocked when John haughtily remarked: “You have to understand, Peter, that at this point in my career I can’t afford to have you mess things up while you are under my supervision.”

John had never before criticized Peter’s way of working, or his results, this harshly. Peter reacted with anger. He said that it was John who had ruined the atmosphere, that it was John’s fault that some projects were delayed, and that he was sick and tired of the way in which John played the different project groups off against each other. He angrily slammed the door and went directly to Jeff, the CEO of Solteam., to complain. Jeff soothed Peter by promising that he would talk to John, but he never did.

In the weeks following the incident Peter avoided John at all costs. He was so angry that he started to talk to his senior project managers about the conflict. Tension between John and Peter mounted steadily. During the kick-off meeting for the dismantling project the bomb really exploded: John repeated his doubts about Peter’s capabilities for the project in front of the entire team. Peter started cursing him. After a few minutes they were yelling at each other and the meeting had to be disbanded.

This caused major problems. John and Peter had been slated to work together on the new project of dismantling the production line, but it looked like the project would run into serious problems if Peter and John couldn’t reconcile. Employees began gossiping about the “bad chemistry” between their two managers.

(to be continued)

Read episode 4
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‘The Man in the middle’ is an excerpt from the book ‘The Solution Tango’ (and ‘Solution Focused Coaching’ e-book) by Louis Cauffman. This book presents a new approach to conquering the numerous challenges, problems, and failures that managers encounter at work, many of which are people-related. An important lesson identified in the book is that a manager must act as both the leader who provides direction for a team or company and as the coach who enables others to make the most of their skills, enabling the individual and the organization to succeed. A seven-step framework to enhance problem-solving capabilities, examples and tips, and a survival kit for sinking managers will help managers improve their people skills and learn how to approach everyday issues from a positive perspective.

With the new merger things have changed, job certainty has gone and so has the sense of teamwork.

Peter is confident in himself and his expertise. He never loses sleep over the fact that he, too, might have to leave with a golden handshake. During the merger process, Peter did his best to serve the new company. He worked hard to facilitate the amalgamation of the different “styles” of both companies.

From the beginning of the merger, Peter had to accept that someone from the other company would run the department. John, a thirty-seven- year-old engineer, became vice-president of operations — a fact that didn’t bother Peter that much.

Initially Peter got along well with John, but that soon changed. John is a man of the new company style. He has a bossy attitude and he doesn’t socialize. His contacts are strictly businesslike, and he demands written reports on all possible issues. What annoys Peter most was that John didn’t mind bypassing colleagues if it was convenient for him. John’s style is to voice his opinion without worrying about what others think.

Two cliques soon form within the department. One consists of the employees who follow John’s methods. Using the same bossy attitude, they push very hard to get their own way: team spirit is not their highest priority. When they are successful, John praises them and their success reflects well on him. The other clique consists of the old company’s remaining employees, who keep to the “old style” of consulting and cooperating with each other.

Peter finds it hard to cope with the fact that things aren’t going as well as they did “in the good old days.” He has tried talking to John about this several times, but in vain. John plainly said that the good old days might have been golden, but they now belong to the past: “If you can’t adapt, Peter, you might have to think about finding another job. We don’t have room for dinosaurs.”

Peter has experienced one frustration after another. His secretary of many years took an extended sick leave and was not replaced. Peter was told to supervise a tiny project for several weeks. Peter sent a memo to John stating: “In my humble opinion, I believe I’m overqualified and way too expensive for this small project.” John didn’t even respond.

Over the course of the last few years, Peter had organized monthly meetings for every member of his department. These meetings were commonly known as “milestone meetings.” The goal of these meetings was to provide an opportunity to all of his project teams to report on their work. Successes and mess-ups were openly discussed. Peter and everybody working in his team were convinced that these meetings were very useful for keeping an overall view on what was happening. When John took on his function as VP operations, he immediately abolished these meetings. He told Peter: “Your milestone meetings are an instrument of the past. They take up too much time, are too expensive, and I know that we can do without them.” He replaced them with what he called a “real project-oriented approach.” Each project team just had to consult internally and report to their project manager with written reports. Peter was on the copy list but John claimed the final decision: “I prefer to tell you upfront that when I think it is necessary, I reserve the right to talk to the project managers directly, even if this means bypassing you.” Peter was obviously not very happy with John’s sudden decision to cancel these “milestone meetings.” One can easily imagine the atmosphere in the department.

John worked very hard to keep an overview of all the projects. He liked to call himself “the spider in the web.” Everyone, even Peter, had to admit that he succeeded in keeping everything under control. John therefore was held in high regard by the top management, a fact he flaunted to all his colleagues and especially to Peter.

About six months after the merger, top management announced a major change in strategy. A substantial part of Solteam ’s traditional products would be discontinued and replaced by new products. This required building a new factory. 

(to be continued)

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‘The Man in the middle’ is an excerpt from the book ‘The Solution Tango’ (and ‘Solution Focused Coaching’ e-book) by Louis Cauffman. This book presents a new approach to conquering the numerous challenges, problems, and failures that managers encounter at work, many of which are people-related. An important lesson identified in the book is that a manager must act as both the leader who provides direction for a team or company and as the coach who enables others to make the most of their skills, enabling the individual and the organization to succeed. A seven-step framework to enhance problem-solving capabilities, examples and tips, and a survival kit for sinking managers will help managers improve their people skills and learn how to approach everyday issues from a positive perspective.

Introduction

In fourteen exciting episodes, we present a true case study: real people, real business, real problems and exciting interventions. Most likely you will recognize situations that you have also experienced in your own company.

We have chosen to let the story prevail over the explanation of solution-focused thinking and working. We intersperse the story with technical paragraphs (in italic) that explain the solution focused interventions. For in-depth learning, you can click on the links in the text that will lead you to the theoretical explanations of the solution focused key notions.

This story comes straight from life and illustrates all the conversational techniques covered in the previous chapters. Most likely you will recognize situations that you have also experienced in your own company.

The story is about an average manager — not a famous individual or a famous company, not a superman educated in an exclusive business school. It is about somebody like you and me. You will meet his boss, his CEO and a solution focused coach. It is a case about a complex corporate project. It is an exciting case because at every turn it can end catastrophically for those involved, their careers and for the further development of the company.

While reading, you will have your own ideas on how you would have handled the problems that come up. As the events unfold, you will notice many points in the story where it could have gone wrong.

As the story unravels, you will be surprised and amazed by the power of words.

There we go. Have fun!

Louis

Episode 1: 

Background

Peter is a fifty-one-year-old petrochemical engineer. Having had a successful career in various other companies, Peter was hired by Solteam. and has been working with them for fifteen years. He is now vice-president of operations and he has the final word on a large number of projects. Peter’s team consists of about fifty employees. The projects he manages are highly technical and often require additional help from external subcontractors. As a results-driven manager, like most managers, two major concerns are always on his mind: being on time and within budget. Although he likes working with people, Peter has little interest in the organizational and relational side of working on a project.

As an engineer, he sees the dynamics of human relations as a necessary evil. In fact, he calls it “too much politics and window dressing.” He does, however, enjoy the general spirit of cooperation within his team and department.

Top management has expectations of Peter that are slightly higher than his own. “Stretching it to the limit’ is the style of the house. Peter in turn demands the same effort and results from his employees and from the external contractors. Typically, his project budgets are very finely cut and the time limits are always a bit too tight. The external contractors, who naturally also work for other companies, always try to stretch the limits of the contracts. After all, that is how the game is played.

Peter’s team is not immune to the internal power struggles that often develop in such high-pressure environments. Up until now Peter has always been able to control these power struggles. As a veteran, Peter knows the rules of the game within Solteam. he has used those rules himself to move up to his current position.

For Peter, his home is a place free of tension and that is just how he wants it to be. He is happily married with two adolescent sons and a beautiful house in a residential neighborhood not far from the factory. He lives a healthy life, jogging and playing bridge with his wife and friends on Thursday nights. Except for the normal stresses that everyone encounters in a top management position, Peter has been enjoying a relatively peaceful life, until …

Prelude

Last year, Solteam. merged with another company. Many of Peter’s direct employees left, some voluntarily and some not. Peter’s team underwent a major change — a significant part of his team is new. The style of the old company had been one of constant consultation and teamwork, of loyalty among employees and a sense of being at the service of the company. But with the new merger things have changed, job certainty has gone and so has the sense of teamwork. 

(to be continued)

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Read episode 2

‘The Man in the middle’ is an excerpt from the book ‘The Solution Tango’ (and ‘Solution Focused Coaching’ e-book) by Louis Cauffman. This book presents a new approach to conquering the numerous challenges, problems, and failures that managers encounter at work, many of which are people-related. An important lesson identified in the book is that a manager must act as both the leader who provides direction for a team or company and as the coach who enables others to make the most of their skills, enabling the individual and the organization to succeed. A seven-step framework to enhance problem-solving capabilities, examples and tips, and a survival kit for sinking managers will help managers improve their people skills and learn how to approach everyday issues from a positive perspective.