Shaking our own Pom-Poms

By Alex Honnan-MacDonald

Head of Programmes - Systems Change

Abianda’s Solution-Focussed Brief Therapy (SFBT) approach is not only present in our work with girls & young women (GYW), but is integrated into Abianda’s ‘system’ and internal processes, such as through line-management supervisions, our monthly all-team meetings and team collaboration on internal process design and development. An example of how we use SFBT in monthly line-management supervision is having a section dedicated to the supervisee being asked:

‘What’s been a ‘sparkling moment’ this month, what’s something that’s gone well?’ or ‘What have you been pleased to notice yourself doing since we last met?’ 

This gives the supervisee a chance to reflect on something they think has gone well in their work (or an ‘instance of success’, which I’ll come back to). This can be something big or small, opening up a fruitful conversation where the supervisee discusses their strengths and their capabilities, which can provide a sense of accomplishment. 

For me, completing the Intermediate Certificate in Solution Focused Practice with the Essex Solution Focused Centre (a service of Essex County Council Social Care), has supported my integration of an SFBT approach into my work. One of the most interesting learnings I had was around the concept of 'cheerleading’; where you tell someone how great they are, how well they are doing and you are shaking your imaginary pom-poms at them!

In my practice with girls & young women, in my line management (and in my life!), my instinct has been to offer praise and validation to those I am with, especially if they are struggling to recognise their good work, or they are feeling a bit stuck or frustrated because the work can be unpredictable and things do not always go to plan!

I am not saying that offering praise and validation is wrong or never appropriate, but if I really want to embody the SFBT assumption that ‘people are the experts in their own lives’, then “cheerleading” can inadvertently centralise my judgment and my expertise. Through an SFBT lens, supporting team members to notice and identify for themselves what they are doing well, where there are instances of success can be powerful; it can develop internal confidence in their abilities and also identify more effectively what useful support looks like for that individual. 

Of course, as a line manager, a team member (and a human-being!), I still share my own expertise and my own judgement, but I am trying to be intentional about framing: “This is what I have noticed…”  or ‘Can I offer you my reflections?’ followed by my observations if the other person wants it. I can admit, I don’t always ask the perfect question, I don’t always give my feedback without the framing, I still ‘cheerlead’, shaking my imaginary pom-poms. 

However, this subtle shift honours the individual’s expertise, fosters genuine self-efficacy, and can build a culture where individuals feel capable of the work they are doing. It’s important to celebrate the instances of successes, big or small, but to also acknowledge the challenges. Even in the midst of a challenge, it is taking something from that individual to be able to manage, and acknowledgement of what that something is, can be a useful way to ground, to reflect and again, support someone to believe in their capabilities.  

The complexity of criminal exploitation and violence, the way girls & young women's experiences are misunderstood and under-supported within services and systems, and the myriad of ways it continues to impact the lives of girls & young women, show up in all aspects of our work; from embedding young women with lived experience into the organisation, to the direct work with girls & young women, to the organisational policies and processes we need in place and to the development of the infrastructure. It can be difficult, time-consuming and resource intensive. 

So why am I writing about this? Because I believe that if you have a team who trust in their capabilities, who can recognise their strengths, who don’t shy away from acknowledging the challenges but can see how they managed to get through it and reflect on what they have learned about themselves, it can be one way to make the work feel more meaningful, more hopeful, which I believe, ultimately trickles down to the work carried out alongside girls & young women. 

I’d like to finish by inviting you to think of something, big or small, that you’ve been pleased to see yourself doing this month. What did it take from you to be able to do that? What did you notice about yourself? What did other people notice about you? And my last question (promise!), what difference has it made to you to shake your own pom-poms?