OPEN PDF TO VIEW & READ: ‘Dig Deeper‘ [Paul Burke’s M.I. TIP of the Week #1721]

I’m sure you’ve heard it said before that people who believe that they can’t do something are exactly right!

And … by the same token …

… people who say that they CAN do something are also right!

If people don’t hear themselves saying “I can”, they may be privately saying to themselves “I can’t” – and that’s where MI comes in.
Finding ways to evoke (pull out) of people statements about their desires, reasons, need and ability to pursue targeted changes is what MI is all about. Depending on the context in which you work, any of the following are important “Change Talk” statements – all music to our ears!

– I wish I could get more exercise (desire)
– I need to do something about my blood sugar
– If I don’t quit drinking I’m going to lose my job
– I suppose I could take that workshop on writing resumes. It might help me find a better job.

This week’s T.I.P. is about “digging deeper” when you hear such music coming from your client. After all, wanting more exercise isn’t sufficient to make it happen! So – dig deeper! Needing to address blood sugar is a good awareness – but it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

So – when those kinds of statement emerge – dig deeper! Digging in to even the more subtle types of change talk (the ones that whisper instead of scream) means that we can often “grow” reason into need, and need into desire and …eventually even to commitment! That’s the point.