How can you engage with a coaching client who is caught in a place of ambivalence about making changes? In addition to the coaching space, this topic is relevant in the workplace both in the employer/employee relationship and in coworker relationships. We are taking a deep dive in this solo episode about how we partner with our clients to help them move past ambivalence. We’ll talk about how our human nature sets us up for a battle with ambivalence, why this is important in the coaching arena, and what we can do as a coach in this space. Join us for a closer look!
Show Highlights:
- How ambivalence is manifested through conflicting reactions, beliefs, and feelings
- Why Motivational Interviewing (from the work of William Miller and Steven Rollnick) is the most helpful framework I’ve found for engaging with ambivalence
- How Motivational Interviewing initially was developed to help those with addictive disorders–but has great coaching applications!
- How you can learn much more about Motivational Interviewing through various resources that are readily available
- Why the coaching process, at its essence, is all about CHANGE!
- Why most people respond to change with ambivalence and resistance because our equilibrium is impacted
- Why it’s important to notice how a client’s habits are engaging or resisting change
- How a coach should listen for “change talk” from the client but not push for change
- Four categories of change talk (and what to listen for in the client’s language):
- Recognizing the disadvantages of the status quo
- Recognizing the advantages of change
- Expressing optimism about change
- Expressing intention to change
- How to use OARS: open-ended questions, affirmation, reflection, and summarization
- The value of using open-ended questions with the client to elicit and evoke awareness
- Suggestions for evoking methods to get the client to see what you want them to see and imagine future possibilities
- Examples of statements of affirmation to use with clients to help them feel heard
- How to use reflective listening to help the client clarify what they mean to say
- How to use summarization to highlight the reasons for change and emphasize the client’s commitment to change
- Why we need to understand that ambivalence is part of human nature
Resources:
If you are interested in doing mentoring with Meg, visit www.starcoachshow.com/mentor
