Test Bank For Interviewing for Solutions
Chapters 1 & 2:
From Problem Solving to Solution Building:
Solution Building: The Basics
Teaching Tip: These two chapters are brief and can be taught as a unit.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. To recognize the difference between problem-solving and solution-building
interviewing questions.
2. To recognize the implicit assumptions of problem solving and solution building
regarding how best to help clients.
3. To understand the origins of the problem-solving model.
4. To understand the way in which solution-focused interviewing procedures were
developed.
5. To understand the stages of solution building and how they differ from those of
problem solving.
CLASS EXERCISES
Exercise #1: Assumptions
Purpose: To explore the assumptions behind problem-focused and solution-focused
questions.
Time: 30 minutes
Directions:
Ask for two volunteers to read the dialogues from Chapters 1 and 2 in the text in front
of the class. At least one must be a woman (to read Rosie’s part).
1. Instruct other learners to listen carefully to the interviewer’s questions and ask
themselves:
What assumptions about clients are these questions based on?
What assumptions about “how to be helpful” stand behind these questions?
2. Instruct them to write down their observations.
1
, Test Bank For Interviewing for Solutions
3. Volunteers read the dialogue between Rosie and students from Chapter 1.
4. Class discussion. Ask the class for their observations about the two sets of
assumptions. (They will likely make several similar observations to those given in
Chapter 1.)
5. Have volunteers read the dialogue from Chapter 2; the other learners write down
their observations.
6. Class discussion. Once the students have made their observations about the
assumptions behind solution-focused questions, ask the volunteer who read Rosie’s
part:
What was it like to be asked problem-focused questions?
Did you feel like the interviewer was following you?
Was Rosie gaining insight into her own problems?
What was it like to be asked solution-focused questions?
Did you feel like the interviewer was following you?
Was Rosie gaining insight into her own problems?
Then ask the volunteer who read the students’ and Cheryl’s parts:
Was there any difference for you in asking problem-focused and solution-focused questions?
When did you feel like you were connecting with Rosie?
Tip: In the discussions associated with this exercise and those that follow, the primary
goal is for learners to express their observations and the instructor to help learners clarify
and expand these in a solution-focused manner. As an instructor, you should refrain from
altering or evaluating learners’ observations. From time to time, you may wish to offer
observations of your own, but do so sparingly.
Exercise #2: Problem Talk versus Solution Talk
Purpose: To explore the differences between problem-focused and solution-focused
interviewing. (Source of this exercise is Steve de Shazer, Brief Family Therapy Center,
Milwaukee, WI)
Time: 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Have learners number off 1, 2, and 3. Make these assignments: 1s are clients, 2s are
interviewers, and 3s are observers.
2. For 10 minutes, 1 tells 2 about something that was a problem for him or her this
past week. 2’s task is to get as much detail as possible about the problem so that 2
can make an assessment of how serious the problem is.
2
, Test Bank For Interviewing for Solutions
3. For the next 10 minutes, 1 tells 2 about something that went well this past week. 2’s
task is to get as much detail as possible about what went well and how it happened,
that is, who did what to make the good event happen.
4. 3s' task is to observe the two interactions and write down what is different between
the two interactions.
5. Begin the exercise. Give 2-minute warnings at 8 minutes for each part.
Reconvene the class for discussion.
Ask the observers:
What similarities and differences did you observe between the two conversations?
What did you hear or see that told you that?
Ask clients:
What was it like to be asked the problem-assessment questions?
What was it like to be asked about something which went well?
Which types of questions were easier to answer? Which were more difficult?
Did your reaction to the interviewer vary based on types of questions asked?
Ask interviewers:
What was it like to ask problem-assessment questions?
What was it like to ask about something which went well?
Did you notice anything different about the client depending on the questions asked?
INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES
There are no role-plays designed to accompany these chapters. However, there are two
individual exercises that you can assign to learners to complete outside of class which
begin to get learners observing and interviewing. They are designed to reinforce the
strengths-based assumption that people bring resources to problems and new challenges
in their lives.
Below and throughout this manual, the purpose and directions for learners for each
individual exercise are given. You can reproduce these in hard copy and distribute them
to learners as you deem useful. Alternately, some of the individual exercises could be
done in class if you prefer.
Exercise #3: Strengths-focused Interviews
Purpose: To begin practicing asking about strengths.
Directions to Learners: Find two people and interview them individually. Ask each
about how she or he has solved problems in the past. Get as many details as you can
about any inner strengths and outer resources each used to solve or reduce their
problems. Write down your findings below.
3
, Test Bank For Interviewing for Solutions
Individual # 1:
Inner Strengths: Outer Resources:
Individual # 2:
Inner Strengths: Outer Resources:
Exercise #4: Interviewing a Classmate for Strengths
Purpose: To practice asking about strengths.
Directions to Learners: Pair up with someone else in your class and set a time to meet
outside class. Each of you is to ask the other about what he or she has done in the past,
or inherited, or learned from books and others, or figured out for him or herself that
will make him or her a good interviewer. Each of you should get a copy of those
strengths about yourself that your interviewer has uncovered and written down. At
the end of the course, you can return to your lists with your partner and talk about
which strengths indeed proved useful and what new interviewing strengths you
developed through the course.
Potential Strengths as an Interviewer:
4
Chapters 1 & 2:
From Problem Solving to Solution Building:
Solution Building: The Basics
Teaching Tip: These two chapters are brief and can be taught as a unit.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. To recognize the difference between problem-solving and solution-building
interviewing questions.
2. To recognize the implicit assumptions of problem solving and solution building
regarding how best to help clients.
3. To understand the origins of the problem-solving model.
4. To understand the way in which solution-focused interviewing procedures were
developed.
5. To understand the stages of solution building and how they differ from those of
problem solving.
CLASS EXERCISES
Exercise #1: Assumptions
Purpose: To explore the assumptions behind problem-focused and solution-focused
questions.
Time: 30 minutes
Directions:
Ask for two volunteers to read the dialogues from Chapters 1 and 2 in the text in front
of the class. At least one must be a woman (to read Rosie’s part).
1. Instruct other learners to listen carefully to the interviewer’s questions and ask
themselves:
What assumptions about clients are these questions based on?
What assumptions about “how to be helpful” stand behind these questions?
2. Instruct them to write down their observations.
1
, Test Bank For Interviewing for Solutions
3. Volunteers read the dialogue between Rosie and students from Chapter 1.
4. Class discussion. Ask the class for their observations about the two sets of
assumptions. (They will likely make several similar observations to those given in
Chapter 1.)
5. Have volunteers read the dialogue from Chapter 2; the other learners write down
their observations.
6. Class discussion. Once the students have made their observations about the
assumptions behind solution-focused questions, ask the volunteer who read Rosie’s
part:
What was it like to be asked problem-focused questions?
Did you feel like the interviewer was following you?
Was Rosie gaining insight into her own problems?
What was it like to be asked solution-focused questions?
Did you feel like the interviewer was following you?
Was Rosie gaining insight into her own problems?
Then ask the volunteer who read the students’ and Cheryl’s parts:
Was there any difference for you in asking problem-focused and solution-focused questions?
When did you feel like you were connecting with Rosie?
Tip: In the discussions associated with this exercise and those that follow, the primary
goal is for learners to express their observations and the instructor to help learners clarify
and expand these in a solution-focused manner. As an instructor, you should refrain from
altering or evaluating learners’ observations. From time to time, you may wish to offer
observations of your own, but do so sparingly.
Exercise #2: Problem Talk versus Solution Talk
Purpose: To explore the differences between problem-focused and solution-focused
interviewing. (Source of this exercise is Steve de Shazer, Brief Family Therapy Center,
Milwaukee, WI)
Time: 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Have learners number off 1, 2, and 3. Make these assignments: 1s are clients, 2s are
interviewers, and 3s are observers.
2. For 10 minutes, 1 tells 2 about something that was a problem for him or her this
past week. 2’s task is to get as much detail as possible about the problem so that 2
can make an assessment of how serious the problem is.
2
, Test Bank For Interviewing for Solutions
3. For the next 10 minutes, 1 tells 2 about something that went well this past week. 2’s
task is to get as much detail as possible about what went well and how it happened,
that is, who did what to make the good event happen.
4. 3s' task is to observe the two interactions and write down what is different between
the two interactions.
5. Begin the exercise. Give 2-minute warnings at 8 minutes for each part.
Reconvene the class for discussion.
Ask the observers:
What similarities and differences did you observe between the two conversations?
What did you hear or see that told you that?
Ask clients:
What was it like to be asked the problem-assessment questions?
What was it like to be asked about something which went well?
Which types of questions were easier to answer? Which were more difficult?
Did your reaction to the interviewer vary based on types of questions asked?
Ask interviewers:
What was it like to ask problem-assessment questions?
What was it like to ask about something which went well?
Did you notice anything different about the client depending on the questions asked?
INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES
There are no role-plays designed to accompany these chapters. However, there are two
individual exercises that you can assign to learners to complete outside of class which
begin to get learners observing and interviewing. They are designed to reinforce the
strengths-based assumption that people bring resources to problems and new challenges
in their lives.
Below and throughout this manual, the purpose and directions for learners for each
individual exercise are given. You can reproduce these in hard copy and distribute them
to learners as you deem useful. Alternately, some of the individual exercises could be
done in class if you prefer.
Exercise #3: Strengths-focused Interviews
Purpose: To begin practicing asking about strengths.
Directions to Learners: Find two people and interview them individually. Ask each
about how she or he has solved problems in the past. Get as many details as you can
about any inner strengths and outer resources each used to solve or reduce their
problems. Write down your findings below.
3
, Test Bank For Interviewing for Solutions
Individual # 1:
Inner Strengths: Outer Resources:
Individual # 2:
Inner Strengths: Outer Resources:
Exercise #4: Interviewing a Classmate for Strengths
Purpose: To practice asking about strengths.
Directions to Learners: Pair up with someone else in your class and set a time to meet
outside class. Each of you is to ask the other about what he or she has done in the past,
or inherited, or learned from books and others, or figured out for him or herself that
will make him or her a good interviewer. Each of you should get a copy of those
strengths about yourself that your interviewer has uncovered and written down. At
the end of the course, you can return to your lists with your partner and talk about
which strengths indeed proved useful and what new interviewing strengths you
developed through the course.
Potential Strengths as an Interviewer:
4
