The Action Factory Podcast

Welcome to another Action Factory Podcast with me, Michael Dawson.

Before we begin this episode, here's a quick reminder: Don't miss my 30-minute webinar 'The BIG 4 in Youth Work.' You'll also get two powerful tools and my popular 'Brief Therapy Toolkit' eBook—already a hit with nearly 40,000 youth workers. Click below to subscribe and watch!"

 WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR

Now, lets begin...

Welcome to the Action Factory Podcast - We are expats living here in France and one thing we notice that's honoured here in Europe is Armistice day. Nothing moves on the day and in our rural area most shops and businesses close to show respect in the village square.

It marks the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I came to an end after four brutal years of fighting.

I went and had a conversation with some of the guys who spent their younger years fighting in the Second World War.

It was great to meet them and I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Visit us at www.theactionfactory.com

Grab the free digital download here.

BIG Four Download

Welcome to another Action Factory Podcast with me, Michael Dawson.

Before we begin this episode, here's a quick reminder: Don't miss my 30-minute webinar 'The BIG 4 in Youth Work.' You'll also get two powerful tools and my popular 'Brief Therapy Toolkit' eBook—already a hit with nearly 40,000 youth workers. Click below to subscribe and watch!"

 WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR

Now, lets begin...

Doing the podcast here has taken me back a few years to the thing I loved most during ten years on FM radio. Talking to the most interesting and fascinating people I could find. 

For that reason and because thousands of you now listen to us I have changed the name of the podcast to the Action Factory Podcast.

This will enable me to open up our remit and seek out fascinating people. It's all selfish and it's all for me but still, if you'd like to share or click something for a stranger then please do. After thousands of downloads we have very few subscribers.

This week I'm introducing a chat I had with an organisation called Lifeshare. They provide services for Manchesters homeless such as breakfasts and Christmas dinners.

They are at www.lifeshare.org.uk where you can volunteer or donate.

Visit us at www.theactionfactory.com

Grab the free digital download here.

BIG Four Download

Welcome to another Action Factory Podcast with me, Michael Dawson.

Before we begin this episode, here's a quick reminder: Don't miss my 30-minute webinar 'The BIG 4 in Youth Work.' You'll also get two powerful tools and my popular 'Brief Therapy Toolkit' eBook—already a hit with nearly 40,000 youth workers. Click below to subscribe and watch!"

 WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR

Now, lets begin...

Welcome to the solutions toolkit podcast from the Action Factory.

I'm Michael Dawson

Yes, I've neglected you but saying I've been busy probably won't cut it.

For the 9th time I took it upon myself to cycle the Tour De France from start to finish. (direct) before you get too impressed. A mere thousand or so Km and that's a podcast right there.

I also managed to finish the new studio at our home in France. Another potential podcast.

Instead, I wanted to talk to myself again about something personal. 

Not what the hell got me here but most importantly, who the hell got me here?

I thought it would be interesting to say it out loud because in the main it was people like you.

• Residential carers

I've finished the solutions toolkit audio course and I'll be releasing it to subscribers early. Why?

Because I value your opinion.

Visit us at www.theactionfactory.com

Grab the free digital download here.

BIG Four Download

Welcome to another Action Factory Podcast with me, Michael Dawson.

Before we begin this episode, here's a quick reminder: Don't miss my 30-minute webinar 'The BIG 4 in Youth Work.' You'll also get two powerful tools and my popular 'Brief Therapy Toolkit' eBook—already a hit with nearly 40,000 youth workers. Click below to subscribe and watch!"

 WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR

Now, lets begin...

I believe that solution focused workers don't need to be therapists and they don't need problems to solve. Having had comments both in person and online about my attitude towards traditional therapists and their methods I thought it worth some clarity.

I often quote in sessions my Aunt Betty, of course Aunt Betty doesn’t exist in reality as a person but she does exist. In fact Aunt Betty might even be you.

So before I explain let me tell you something about Aunt Betty. She is an extremely positive person, she is someone who is always fun and reassuring to be around. In a crisis it’s aunt betty who remains calm and focuses on the positive. In fact when things go wrong in life then it’s Aunt Betty that people gravitate to. People who talk to aunt betty about problems always come away feeling more upbeat and positive about a solution, the problem seems smaller and sometimes afterwards it seems to evaporate all by itself. The funny thing about Aunt Betty is this. She never gives advice or instruction or any of those things. Yes Aunt Betty will tell stories or mention her experiences but never directs them at anyone. Whenever I talk about Aunt Betty then I’m talking about any one of our clients, the social workers, teachers and residential workers whom we train in solution focused working. As i said earlier I could be talking about you.

So here’s the thing. Aunt Betty isn’t trained in the solution focused approach, she certainly never did any therapeutic training either formal or informal. She has no degree’s and wouldn’t know the first thing about therapy. She has no experience and never wrote a book or paper.

However, let me ask you a question

Is she the kind of person that you'd prefer to approach in a crisis?

Visit us at www.theactionfactory.com

Grab the free digital download here.

BIG Four Download

Welcome to another Action Factory Podcast with me, Michael Dawson.

Before we begin this episode, here's a quick reminder: Don't miss my 30-minute webinar 'The BIG 4 in Youth Work.' You'll also get two powerful tools and my popular 'Brief Therapy Toolkit' eBook—already a hit with nearly 40,000 youth workers. Click below to subscribe and watch!"

 WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR

Now, lets begin...

I suffer from solution focused bias, I see it everywhere. Yesterday I was reading a very old book called the power of the subconscious mind by Dr John Murphy. It was first published in 1963.

Although John Murphy doesn't refer to the miracle question, mainly because it wasn't invented in 1963 I recognised that there might be some lessons for us within his words.

1. Physically speak out loud

2. Repeat daily.

3. Speak in the present tense.

They can't be followed verbatim, then again neither can the solution focused approach. We help our clients adapt and adopt this powerful model (sfbt) into their working lives. A thing we call proactive therapy. It helps improve lives and it doesn't look for problems.

Visit us at www.theactionfactory.com

Grab the free digital download here.

BIG Four Download

Welcome to another Action Factory Podcast with me, Michael Dawson.

Before we begin this episode, here's a quick reminder: Don't miss my 30-minute webinar 'The BIG 4 in Youth Work.' You'll also get two powerful tools and my popular 'Brief Therapy Toolkit' eBook—already a hit with nearly 40,000 youth workers. Click below to subscribe and watch!"

 WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR

Now, lets begin...

There are a number of principles behind the solution focused approach that are unchanging under any circumstance. Like Issac Newtons laws of motion they apply in every situation. Whether you're a professor of solution focused therapy or simply my aunt betty, if your solution focused then these laws apply.

If you can apply these in your work then you will be a solution focused worker. Everything else is simply the tools. As we discuss in the podcast, Issac Newtons laws are principles. Our tools such as airplanes, rockets and human cannonballs are just tools. Likewise in practice we have to start with the 'LAWS' of the solution focused approach.

ALSO: Exciting news as we launch our individual training course online. Over 2.5 hours of video content designed to take the solution focused model out of the therapy room and into your workplace. Launch offer. 

Visit us at www.theactionfactory.com

Grab the free digital download here.

BIG Four Download

The three overlapping circles that define a solution focused worker. In other sessions we have spoken about how much power and influence a solution focused worker might have over a therapist.

A solution focused worker is not a therapist, they are youth work professionals, residential workers or teachers. So what makes a solution focused worker.

We thing that it's the centre of three overlapping circles, the sweet spot between you personally, your client and of course the model. Between these three lies a professional who is able to use their role to allow their clients to have better outcomes. To go beyond and of course that's why we do the job in the first place. That and the huge wages, fame and kudos!

As always I'm never right but I love hearing your thoughts. As we say in our training, challenge everything.

Have fun and please thank you for the questions and we will keep addressing them as we go.

Visit us at www.theactionfactory.com

Grab the free digital download here.

BIG Four Download

Welcome to another Action Factory Podcast with me, Michael Dawson.

Before we begin this episode, here's a quick reminder: Don't miss my 30-minute webinar 'The BIG 4 in Youth Work.' You'll also get two powerful tools and my popular 'Brief Therapy Toolkit' eBook—already a hit with nearly 40,000 youth workers. Click below to subscribe and watch!"

 WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR

Now, lets begin...

Solution focused working, I just don't get it mate!

From experience this is a fairly common reaction form other services or those outside the 'cult'

They see the results and are often stunned by them but should we really care whether they get it or not? In this podcast I talk about my own experience and suggest we shouldn't really care. Having said that I have the solution focused approach in my veins so very often my response is the same as with any client.

I'm the curious inquisitor, I want you to tell me why and how you don't get how the solution focused approach works. I'd be curious as to what you think might work better?

Perhaps a problem expert, highly qualified in other peoples lives with a store of answers and numerous qualifications?

As always I'm never right but love to hear your thoughts.

Have fun and please thank you for the questions and we will keep addressing them as we go.

Follow our podcast www.thesolutionfocusedtoolkit.com

Team training website : www.theactionfactory.com

Individual training course : https://tinyurl.com/solution-focused

Welcome to another Action Factory Podcast with me, Michael Dawson.

Before we begin this episode, here's a quick reminder: Don't miss my 30-minute webinar 'The BIG 4 in Youth Work.' You'll also get two powerful tools and my popular 'Brief Therapy Toolkit' eBook—already a hit with nearly 40,000 youth workers. Click below to subscribe and watch!"

 WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR

Now, lets begin...

The S.I.M.PL.E acronym is something we use in our training to give workers something to grasp onto when the conversations stall. It's never a first resort but can act as a good last resort and get you to the shore, get the wheels spinning again.

S - Scaling Questions

I - Interpretation

M - Miracle Question Again

PL - Place both emotionally and physically

E - Emotion

A simple memory aid for when it might slow down.

Have fun and please thank you for the questions and we will keep addressing them as we go.

Visit us at www.theactionfactory.com

Grab the free digital download here.

BIG Four Download

Welcome to another Action Factory Podcast with me, Michael Dawson.

Before we begin this episode, here's a quick reminder: Don't miss my 30-minute webinar 'The BIG 4 in Youth Work.' You'll also get two powerful tools and my popular 'Brief Therapy Toolkit' eBook—already a hit with nearly 40,000 youth workers. Click below to subscribe and watch!"

 WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR

Now, lets begin...

It's your fault, not the clients!

This week I'm talking about those times when your work seems to be heading off course or stalling. Before you hit the rocks you need to head for some lifeboats and save yourself.

This time I want to point the finger at you or (me), after all, it has to be the first place we look. We already know the client has the answers. We know our job is to be curious in helping them find the answers. If thats true then the reason we are running aground is right there with us, we are steering the conversations after all.

So it's time to put your tin hat on and ask yourself some difficult and uncomfortable questions. 

Whenever I do this I learn two things. 

1. I usually don't like the answer or the questions.

2. It usually turns out to be me.

Have fun and please thank you for the questions and we will keep addressing them as we go.

Visit us at www.theactionfactory.com

Grab the free digital download here.

BIG Four Download