1600 Solution-Focused Questions

1600 Solution-Focused Questions: A Practical Guide to SFBT, Coaching, Leadership, Education, and Community-Based Practice is an essential resource for professionals who want to guide conversations toward clarity, progress, and action. This book provides real-world, results-driven questions designed to help people move forward, breaking away from the endless cycle of problem-saturated discussions.

Traditional methods often focus too much on analysing problems, but solution-focused approaches offer something different: a way to shift attention to what works, what is possible, and what is already improving—even if only slightly. This book equips therapists, coaches, educators, leaders, and community workers with a structured set of 1600 effective questions to facilitate meaningful conversations that lead to real change.

What This Book Offers

1600 targeted questions to help clients, students, employees, and communities identify strengths and build solutions.

Practical techniques that can be applied in therapy, coaching, leadership, education, and social work.

Case examples showing how the right question at the right time can unlock insight, clarity, and motivation.

Frameworks for tracking progress using scaling, self-reflection, and exception-based questions.

Guidance on overcoming resistance from skeptical clients, workplace teams, and institutional systems.

If you are working with people who feel stuck, unmotivated, or uncertain, these questions will help shift their focus to small, meaningful actions that lead to lasting improvements.

Who This Book is For

This book is for professionals who want clear, actionable ways to help others move toward positive change. It is especially useful for:

Therapists and Counsellors using Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) to create forward-moving conversations.

Coaches and Mentors who need their clients to take accountability and stay motivated.

Leaders and Managers looking for better ways to engage teams and encourage problem-solving.

Educators and School Counsellors who want to help students become more independent and solution-oriented.

Social Workers and Community Leaders aiming to foster resilience and collaboration in individuals and groups.

Case Example: A Therapist Guiding a Stuck Client

Michael, a therapist, had a client, Lisa, who was stuck in negative self-talk. Every session started with a long list of what was wrong. Instead of analysing her struggles endlessly, Michael asked:

“Was there a single moment this week when things felt slightly better?”

Lisa hesitated, then mentioned an afternoon when she felt a little lighter after talking to a friend.

Michael followed up: “What was different that afternoon?”

Lisa realised that she hadn’t been ruminating about the past. Instead, she was engaged in the conversation and felt understood.

Michael continued: “How can you create more of those moments this week?”

That small shift—noticing what worked and doing more of it—became the foundation for Lisa’s next step.

Case Example: A Manager Using Solution-Focused Questions

Samantha, a team leader, was tired of hearing complaints about workload distribution. Instead of asking, “What’s going wrong?” she tried a different approach:

“Can you tell me about a day last month when our workflow felt smooth?”

The team thought for a moment, then recalled a time when they had clear priorities and fewer last-minute changes.

Samantha asked: “How can we bring more of that structure into this week?”

Instead of rehashing frustrations, the team found ways to replicate past success—leading to practical improvements without blame or frustration.

The Power of a Well-Timed Question

A single question can shift an entire conversation from frustration to possibility. A well-placed prompt can help a client see a new angle, help a student recognise their progress, help a team uncover better ways of working, or help a community focus on what’s already strong.

This book gives you a structured approach to using solution-focused questions effectively in different settings. Whether you’re working one-on-one or in group environments, you’ll find questions that uncover strengths, spark motivation, and drive positive change.

Final Thought

Every interaction presents a choice—spiral into complaints or shift toward solutions. This book provides 1600 powerful questions to help you steer conversations toward progress and action. By focusing on what’s working and what can improve next, you guide people toward real change—one question at a time.