Toward Solutions Podcast

Jason Pascoe and Dion Sing
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Welcome to the Toward Solutions Podcast with Jason Pascoe and Dion Sing, where creativity meets practical application!  Together, we dive deep into the world of Solution-Focus, exploring its transformative power across a variety of contexts. Join us each month as we engage in enlightening conversations with experts and practitioners who are applying Solution-Focus in their unique environments. Whether you're looking to enhance your personal life, professional practice, or community projects, our discussions will provide you with valuable insights and actionable ideas. Tune in to discover how you can implement Solution-Focused strategies and practices in your own context, unlocking new possibilities and creative solutions. Let's embark on this journey of exploration and innovation together!

  1. 19h ago

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 14: From Demotivated to Double Output with Elvira Kalmar

    In this rich and thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Elvira Kalmar, founder of the Go Beyond Project and a solution-focused organisation development and design consultant, to explore what happens when a solution-focused mindset meets the messy, complex work of transforming organisations. Elvira has spent over 20 years working in and with organisations, and around 15 years ago discovered Solution Focus through a team coaching course with the Hungarian Solution Surfers. From that first moment, she started experimenting with taking the approach beyond individual and team coaching and into whole-company change, eventually leaving the corporate world to become an external consultant. She is now the author of the two-book Go Beyond: Solution-Focused Pocket Mentor for Work Evolutionists series, and runs the internationally accredited Native in Change course through the Go Beyond Project, teaching solution-focused organisation development and design in English, German and Hungarian. In this conversation we explore: Why the solution-focused approach is "mind-blowingly different" for organisational change, and why so many transformations fail because they spend all their time diagnosing the problem instead of co-creating the preferred futureThe five parallel realities at play in every organisation - formal, informal, value-creating, legal and digital - and why so many change efforts fail because they try to solve every problem in the wrong oneWhy Elvira prefers the word "evolution" to "transformation," and how small, confidence-building steps compound into much bigger change than one big forced leapThe four-part "calibration meeting" Elvira uses with teams: acknowledging what's been achieved, acknowledging individual contribution, a solution-focused stop/start/continue, and agreeing the next deliverablesWhy AI can only ever be as good as the notes and data you feed it, and what gets lost when you skip the human noticingA simple tool you can try tomorrow: asking what your customers or clients would notice before asking what needs to change This is a conversation about trust, permission, and the small experiments that add up to real evolution, whether you're leading a team of five or trying to shift an entire organisation. 🎧 If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review on your favourite platform. It really helps more people find these great conversations. Show Notes Resources Elvira's Books Go Beyond: Solution-Focused Pocket Mentor for Work Evolutionists, Book 1: Start Transformations Today by Elvira Kalmar (SolutionSurfers) Go Beyond: Solution-Focused Pocket Mentor for Work Evolutionists, Book 2: Support the Evolution of Complex Systems by Elvira Kalmar (SolutionSurfers) Both books, reviews, and ordering info: gobeyond-project.com/resources/book The Go Beyond Project Courses, consultancy and mentoring with Elvira and her trained team: gobeyond-project.com Native in Change Elvira's internationally accredited Solution-Focused Organisation Development and Design course, run in English, German and Hungarian: gobeyond-project.com/native-in-change Go Beyond Consultancy Book a free mentoring session with one of Elvira's trained consultants: gobeyond-project.com/consultancy Connect with Elvira LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elvira-kalmár-5b74661a If you got value from this podcast, please leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 14: From Demotivated to Double Output with Elvira Kalmar

  2. Jul 9

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 13: Neurons, Agency, and Going Slow with Dr Gil Greene

    In this wide-ranging and quietly moving episode, we sit down with Dr Gil Greene, Professor Emeritus at Ohio State University's College of Social Work, after a thirty-eight-and-a-half-year academic career, and one of the field's most dedicated (and best-read) students of Solution Focus. Gil found his way to the approach the long way round: starting in psychiatric social work at a Veterans Administration hospital in Nashville, through transactional analysis and Gestalt therapy, into the work of Milton Erickson and the Mental Research Institute, and eventually to Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg's work in Milwaukee. Along the way he built one of the largest personal libraries of Solution Focused material anywhere, and has spent decades writing, teaching, and researching the approach from every angle. In this conversation we explore: How Gil discovered Solution Focus through the Mental Research Institute lineage, and why the approach "sold itself" once he saw the resultsThe neuroscience of change: Hebb's principle, neurons that fire together wire together, and why simply asking someone to imagine a different future is a genuinely creative actWhy we can never unilaterally empower a client, and what a truly collaborative, co-created conversation looks like insteadGil's recent work connecting Solution Focus to patient activation and resource activation research in healthcare settingsThe simplest and most powerful lesson from nearly fifty years of practice: go slowThis is a conversation that moves from history to neuroscience to the kind of hard-won, practical wisdom that only comes from decades in the room with people. Whether you are brand new to Solution Focus or have been practicing for years, there is something here worth sitting with. 🎧 If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review on your favourite platform. It really helps more people find these great conversations. Show Notes Resources Gil's Books Coaching for Person-Centred Healthcare: A Solution-Focused Approach to Collaborative Care by Elaine Cook, Gilbert J. Greene, and Joanne Maxwell (Routledge, 2024) Routledge: routledge.com/Coaching-for-Person-Centred-Healthcare-A-Solution-Focused-Approach-to-Collaborative-Care/Cook-Greene-Maxwell/p/book/9781032539560 Solution-Oriented Social Work Practice: An Integrative Approach to Working with Client Strengths by Gilbert J. Greene and Mo Yee Lee (Oxford University Press, 2011) Oxford University Press: global.oup.com/ushe/product/solution-oriented-social-work-practice-9780195162622 Integrative Family and Systems Treatment: A Strengths-Based Common Factors Approach (Oxford University Press), co-developed by Gil Greene with Mo Yee Lee and colleagues If you got value from this podcast, please leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 13: Neurons, Agency, and Going Slow with Dr Gil Greene

  3. Jun 15

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 12: Solution Focus in Wild Places with Dr Stephan Natynczuk

    In this warm, curious and quietly profound episode, we head off into the unknown with Dr Stephan Natynczuk, a self-employed academic, accredited counsellor, and Solution Focused practitioner who takes useful conversations outdoors. Stephan has spent decades co-adventuring for change with young people in forests, rivers, caves and on mountainsides. Stephan started out as a scientist, studying social odours in mammals, before following his curiosity into experiential education, the care sector, and eventually training with BRIEF. What ties it all together is a simple mission he names without grandeur: to generate contributors to a better world.  This is a conversation full of stories, gentle wisdom, and the kind of practical insight that only comes from doing the work for real. In this conversation we explore: The low visibility navigation metaphor for change: knowing where you are, where you've been, and being able to picture exactly what it will look like when you arriveWhy Stephan rarely explains Solution Focus and instead just gets on with it, asking the questions and seeing what happensLeave No Trace as an ethic borrowed from the outdoors, and what it means to do the work with people rather than to themWhy his parting advice for a good conversation is simply to listen hard and be curiousWhether you work outdoors, sit in a therapy room, lead a team, or simply care about having better conversations, this one is for you. 🎧 If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review on your favourite platform. It really helps more people find these great conversations. Show Notes Resources Connect with Stephan Website: sparekrab.comEmail: sparekrab@icloud.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stephannatynczukStephan's Book Solution-Focused Practice in Outdoor Therapy: Co-Adventuring for Change by Will W. Dobud and Stephan Natynczuk (Routledge, 2023). Available to order online via Routledge, Amazon, and most major booksellers (print on demand). A free field manual is available with purchase of the book.  Routledge (publisher): https://www.routledge.com/Solution-Focused-Practice-in-Outdoor-Therapy-Co-Adventuring-for-Change/Dobud-Natynczuk/p/book/9781032108810Amazon (paperback): https://www.amazon.com/Solution-Focused-Practice-Outdoor-Therapy-Dobud/dp/1032108819If you got value from this podcast, please leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 12: Solution Focus in Wild Places with Dr Stephan Natynczuk

  4. May 19

    TOWARD SOLUTIONS 2.0 | Episode 1 - Andrew Gibson: The Ripple Effect

    Toward Solutions 2.0 is a second series running alongside our usual monthly show - same passion for Solution Focus, different format. Shorter conversations, a little less structured, and a lot more wide-ranging. We catch up with past guests to follow the ripples, and we bring in new voices too; coaches, therapists, leaders, educators, and practitioners applying Solution Focus across all kinds of different contexts. Think of it as the conversations that happen after the main event. The ones over coffee, at the edge of a conference, or on a random Tuesday when someone has something worth saying. If you're new here, the main Toward Solutions series is a great place to start. If you've been with us for a while - welcome to 2.0. Andrew Gibson was our second ever guest, and that conversation quietly set something in motion. Andrew is a coach, trainer, and Solution Focus practitioner based in Leeds, UK. He came back to tell us a story, about a stranger at a conference in Belgium, a talk with no slides, an afternoon in a garden in the Netherlands, and how all of it traces back to an episode of this podcast recorded a year earlier. The result is a brand new book: The Essence of Solution-Focused Practice 485 words that distil what Andrew believes Solution Focus actually is at its core. You can read it in the time it takes to drink a coffee. Get the book  Single copies: amazon.com/dp/191677668X  Bulk orders: contact Andrew directly Find out more about Andrew  andrew-gibson.com linkedin.com/in/growthbusinesscoach  If you got value from this podcast, please leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

    TOWARD SOLUTIONS 2.0 | Episode 1 - Andrew Gibson: The Ripple Effect

  5. Apr 27

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 11: When Schools Come Alive - Solution Focus in Education with Vicky Essebag

    In this warm, rich and deeply practical episode, we sit down with Vicky Essebag — therapist, educator, coach, and founder of Relation Spaces — to explore what happens when Solution Focus moves into the heart of school communities.  Vicky has spent decades working across the school system — as a teacher, counsellor, and administrator — and what she's seen is remarkable. Fewer suspensions. More engaged students. Teachers who stay past the bell. Parents who show up. Administrators who stop butting heads and start co-creating.  In this conversation we explore:  Why Solution Focus is just as much a communicative model as a therapeutic oneWhat it really looks like to bring SF into classrooms, staffrooms, and leadership teamsHer six principles of Relational Spaces — and how they help parents, teachers and administrators get into a solution focused mindset fastThe ripple effect of SF in schools: fewer suspensions, more engaged students, teachers who stay past the bell, and parents who show upWhy asking a struggling young person "how come nobody ever told you how kind you are?" can change everything Whether you work in schools, lead organisations, or simply care about how we talk to young people — this one is for you.   🎧 If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review on your favourite platform. It really helps more people find these great conversations.     Connect with Vicky Website: relationspaces.comEmail: info@relationspaces.comPodcast with Tara Gretton: School Solutions Talk YouTube: youtube.com/@VickyEssebag Vicky's Book Relationspaces: A Solution-Focused Handbook for Parents — available on Amazon   If you got value from this podcast, please leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 11: When Schools Come Alive - Solution Focus in Education with Vicky Essebag

  6. Mar 21

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 10: Progress in Complex Environments with Annette Gray

    In this practical and engaging episode, we connect with Annette Gray to explore what it really takes to create meaningful change in people, teams, and systems. Annette is a leadership development consultant and leadership coach.  In our conversation Annette reflects on how her thinking has evolved — from seeing Solution Focus as something that sits alongside coaching, to recognising it as the coaching approach. A way of working that centres on asking more and telling less. Drawing on her experience across global organisations, leadership programs, and high-pressure environments, Annette shares how Solution Focus cuts through complexity, helping people quickly identify what’s wanted and take steps toward it. She highlights how leaders often grasp the approach immediately and are able to apply it in their everyday conversations. Together, we explore how small shifts in language and attention can build ownership, strengthen relationships, and support more collaborative ways of working — not just in one-to-one conversations, but across whole systems. Here’s what we explore:  Why Solution Focus works well in complex and fast-paced environments  How leaders can apply the approach immediately in their day-to-day work Moving from telling to asking in leadership conversations   The role of co-creation and curiosity in creating sustainable change  Working with people, rather than trying to fix them This episode offers a clear and practical look at Solution Focus as a way of working — with accessible and immediately usable insights are. You can find out more and get in touch with Annette at https://www.annettegray.com.au/  If you got value from this podcast, please leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 10: Progress in Complex Environments with Annette Gray

  7. Jan 8

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 9: Glimmers, Practice, and Possibility with Victoria Spashchenko

    In this thought provoking, confronting and practical episode, we are privileged to speak with Victoria Spashchenko— intercultural coach, trainer, and author — about the power of small shifts, daily practices, and what it means to live a Solution Focused life. Drawing on years of work with educators, businesses and public service, Victoria shares how the Solution Focused approach shapes her conversations, her mindset, and her way of being. From coaching and facilitation to national mental health programs, she reflects on how the language of strength, progress, and potential can quietly transform how we work and connect with others. We explore: How Solution Focused principles can show up in journalism, education, and national wellbeing programsWhat it means to practise “glimmering” — and how to train your attention toward moments of hope and connectionThe difference between using Solution Focused tools and embodying a Solution Focused stanceWhy pausing to notice strengths can lead to better decisions and braver actionsHow everyday conversations can become spaces for presence, perspective, and possibilityThis conversation is full of practical ideas and grounded wisdom — offering a clear example of how Solution Focused practice can be lived, shared, and sustained over time. Find out more about Victoria here  If you got value from this podcast, please leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 9: Glimmers, Practice, and Possibility with Victoria Spashchenko

  8. 11/26/2025

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 8: Say Yes, And... Improvising Change with Paul Z. Jackson

    In this playful and precise episode of the Towards Solutions podcast, we sit down with Paul Z. Jackson — author, improviser, and co-creator of The Solutions Focus — to explore what it means to build on what’s working and invite change through conversation. From his roots in journalism and theatre to decades of coaching and consulting, Paul brings a rare blend of performance, clarity, and practical insight. Together, we dive into: The power of saying “yes, and…” — and why improvisation matters in leadership and coachingHow lightness, precision, and curiosity can turn any moment into a chance for movementThe discipline of noticing — and how to work with what’s already presentWhat Solution Focused practice offers when we resist the urge to solve and instead choose to buildPaul reminds us that transformative conversations don’t need to be dramatic — they just need to start from where you are, with what you have. Whether you’re coaching a team, leading through uncertainty, or simply wanting better conversations, this episode offers clarity, humour, and plenty of moments that will stay with you. If you got value from this podcast, please leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

    🎙️ Toward Solutions Podcast | Episode 8: Say Yes, And... Improvising Change with Paul Z. Jackson
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About

Welcome to the Toward Solutions Podcast with Jason Pascoe and Dion Sing, where creativity meets practical application!  Together, we dive deep into the world of Solution-Focus, exploring its transformative power across a variety of contexts. Join us each month as we engage in enlightening conversations with experts and practitioners who are applying Solution-Focus in their unique environments. Whether you're looking to enhance your personal life, professional practice, or community projects, our discussions will provide you with valuable insights and actionable ideas. Tune in to discover how you can implement Solution-Focused strategies and practices in your own context, unlocking new possibilities and creative solutions. Let's embark on this journey of exploration and innovation together!

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Pascoe and Dion Sing
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Toward Solutions Podcast
  • Show Website
    Toward Solutions Podcast