I have a story for you today, and I’m curious about your response!
Here is the parable:
A Wise man is sitting at the gate of a large city…
A traveler approaches him and says, “Sir, I am new here. Could you tell me the kind of people that live in this city?”
After pondering, the wise man asks, “And what were the people like where you came from?”
The traveler replies, “They were unfriendly and mean-spirited.”
The wise man nods, “That’s exactly what they are like here, too.”
Not long thereafter, another traveler approached the city and he too asks the wise man, “What kind of people live within the city?”
Again, the wise man asks, “What were the people like in the city you’ve come from?”
The traveler replies, “Friendly, good-hearted, willing to help their neighbor.”
To which the wise man responds, “And that is what they are like here, too.”
Motivational Interviewing Tip of the Week: What do you look for with clients? Who do you see? In what ways are your expectations clouding what you see? Consider the attitude you bring, and your expectations of clients. It may just become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I hope this holiday weekend finds each of you healthy and well.
