How do you evaluate your client's motivation to change?

1 Motivational interviewing

Motivational interviewing is a collaborative and client-centered method of coaching that aims to elicit and strengthen the client's intrinsic motivation to change. It is based on four principles: expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance, and supporting self-efficacy. As a coach, you use open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries to explore the client's values, goals, ambivalence, and confidence. You also help the client identify the pros and cons of changing and staying the same, and the gap between their current and desired situation. By doing so, you help the client resolve their ambivalence and move from a state of contemplation to a state of preparation or action.

2 Stages of change

Another useful framework to evaluate your client's motivation to change is the stages of change model, which describes the process of behavior change as a cycle of six stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination. Each stage has different characteristics, challenges, and strategies for coaching. As a coach, you can assess your client's stage of change by asking questions such as: How important is this change for you? How confident are you that you can make this change? How ready are you to take action? What are the benefits and costs of changing? What are the barriers and supports for changing? Based on your client's stage of change, you can adjust your coaching style, goals, and interventions to match their needs and readiness.

3 Change readiness assessment

A more formal way to evaluate your client's motivation to change is to use a change readiness assessment tool, such as the Readiness Ruler or the Change Assessment Scale. These tools are simple and quick to administer, and they provide a numerical score that reflects the client's level of motivation, confidence, and commitment to change. You can use these tools as a baseline measure, as a progress indicator, or as a conversation starter with your client. For example, you can ask your client to rate their readiness to change on a scale of 1 to 10, and then explore what factors influence their rating, what would make it higher or lower, and what steps they can take to increase their readiness.

4 Motivational enhancement

Once you have evaluated your client's motivation to change, you can use motivational enhancement techniques to help them increase their motivation and move towards action. Some of these techniques are: providing feedback, offering choices, exploring values, setting goals, developing action plans, reviewing progress, celebrating successes, addressing setbacks, and reinforcing self-efficacy. As a coach, you can use these techniques to help your client clarify their vision, identify their strengths and resources, overcome their obstacles and challenges, and achieve their desired outcomes. You can also use these techniques to help your client sustain their motivation and maintain their change over time.

5 Coaching relationship

Finally, one of the most important factors that influences your client's motivation to change is the quality of your coaching relationship. As a coach, you can foster a positive and trusting relationship with your client by demonstrating genuine interest, respect, empathy, and support. You can also use active listening, rapport building, and rapport matching skills to create a safe and comfortable space for your client to express their thoughts and feelings. By building a strong coaching relationship, you can enhance your client's engagement, satisfaction, and retention in the coaching process, and ultimately, their motivation to change.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?