You are here: Learning SF : Online SF Professional certificate :
Online SF Professional certificate
Online Solution Focused Business Professional course
| The next online SF Business Professional, presented with the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, will start on 6 October 2013. The course runs over 16 weeks. It contains all the material covered in our flagship face-to-face training, including our six Solutions Tools, working in individual, group and organisational settings, coaching practice and a project. We've now run four online programmes over since 2011, and the format has been a huge success, with the most recent course totally sold out. | |
Mark himself will be the course tutor, and places are limited to 20. It's a great way for managers, coaches and consultants worldwide to work with Mark and learn SF the very best way possible. Details are at http://www4.uwm.edu/sce/course.cfm?id=22222
This is currently the leading programme aimed at supporting you towards full membership of SFCT, the professional body for SF coaches, consultants and managers.
Each week there will be:
- a topic to study and discuss together
- one or two core readings (sometimes from our core text The Solutions Focus, sometimes from other places)
- an exercise or activity to do - either with a cyber-partner, a friend or colleague, or even both
- some addition optional readings or study material
- several key questions to discuss in the course forum
We will also hold live telecalls for questions and discussion, about every fortnight on Sundays at noon UK time. The first of these will be held at the start of the programme, to allow you the chance to say hello in person and discuss your hopes and goals for the course. Don't worry if you can't make it - the call will be recorded and you can listen later.
"My confidence in using SF in organization setting has moved up significantly. I feel that I have all the skills and tools to handle assignments in demanding situations such as team coaching and organizational consulting."
"The impact with clients who I have in the past experienced some sense of "stuckness" has been amazing. I have seen a rise in energy and commitment by the client to take action."
"I was surprised on at least 20 different occassions, I discovered new materials and writings that I wouldn't otherwise have done, discovered 6 new training exercises, I developed some of my own too."
Course Project
As the course progresses, we will lead up to you doing a ‘project’ – something which you’re doing at work, or you are interested in, to really use and demonstrate your SF skills. Your 2000 – 3000 word report on this will constitute your final submission and completion of the course. The final submission date will be no later than two weeks after the formal end of the course. Many people find that, although it looks a bit daunting at first, this is a very achievable goal, and many find they write more than is strictly required!
Everyone on the last course managed to write something suitable. You may also be interested in taking your project forward for SFCT accreditation via peer review. There is an extra charge for this, details at the SFCT website http://www.asfct.org/review.php.
Outline Program
Week 1: Introduction, what do we mean by Solution Focused
Week 2: SIMPLE principles and Tools introduction, what elseing and Affirm tool,
Possibilities from Past, Present and Future
Week 3: Future Perfect tool, and the difference between Future Perfects, goals and targets
Week 4: Platform tool and the Customer for Change
Week 5: Scaling and Counters tools
Week 6: Small actions and tougher platforms – where people don’t know or disagree
about what they want (plus start full-on coaching relationships between participants)
Week 7: Tools for teams
Week 8: SF and OD – organisational change contexts
Halfway check in and project setup, also change coaching relationships – over halftime break
Week 9: Inbetween, not individual – the Interactional View
Week 10: SF and Performance reviews/appraisals
Week 11: Solution Focused Reflecting Teams format
Week 12: SF and Leadership: Leader as Host
Week 13: Wittgenstein and narrative emergence
Week 14: Connections/differences with other approaches – NLP, Appreciative Inquiry, Positive Psychology, etc
Week 15: SF Evaluation
Week 16: Closing review – what’s better
Previous participants said...
"I have better knowledge and understanding of SF, both theoretical and practical, feel more confident in using the SF approach. Work seems less "heavy" when using SF, spending less time talking about problems"
"I speak, behave, and do most things, professional and relational, differently."
"I feel like I have read widely and enjoyed being stretched again with research/theories/models. I did not expect the course to make me rethink the way I coach and challenge me to do things quite differently."
"Communicating with my fellow course participants has been a true gift. Their commitment and competence inspire me beyond imagination"
"The rich reference materials and research papers are useful and handy in my work projects."
Requirements for the course
The course is open to all. This is a management course, and so some kind of position where you are managing, coaching, coaching managers, managing coaching, facilitating, consulting and so on will mean that you can put the learning into practice straight away.
You will need a copy of The Solutions Focus: Making Coaching & Change SIMPLE by Paul Z Jackson and Mark McKergow (2nd edition – purple cover). This is easily available from Amazon, and all other book sellers, via our books section. All other readings and materials will be provided.
You will need a computer connected to the internet. A Skype connection will also come in very useful for the coaching activities. The course telecalls will be on the TELEPHONE, not on Skype, although you can dial in via Skype with a Skype-out money account. There will be USA and UK-based dial-in numbers – everyone can find a way of getting cheap calls to those locations.
Further questions?
For questions about the course, the materials, suitability of the course for your needs, please contact Mark McKergow at mark@sfwork.com, telephone +44 (0)8453 707145 (at sensible times for the UK please!).
For questions about enrolling, payment, credits and so on please contact Mary Pick at mpick@uwm.edu.
