What exactly is a value?
By definition, values are…. “a person’s principles or standards of behavior, one’s judgment of what is important in life”.
When I work with coaching clients, I always ask them to engage in an activity that helps them sort through and narrow down what their 3-5 core values are. It requires them to think more deeply about what it is that is ultimately most important.
It’s all about the values!
In Motivational Interviewing, we believe that clients know themselves best.
There are always 2 experts in the room. You are the expert in your profession and the client is the expert in him/her/themself.
When we can find out what our clients value, then we can help identify what may motivate them toward change.
I remember a patient I had on one of the cardiac floors. She was in her late 60’s, very overweight, and had high blood pressure. This woman had been admitted several times over the past year with similar medical issues and was repeatedly warned that if she did not lose weight and make better lifestyle choices, then she would likely develop diabetes and was at high risk for a heart attack or stroke.
Knowing all these health risks, the staff couldn’t understand why she didn’t do something to improve her health. For whatever reason, this woman was not moved to change by pending health risks.
So I took the time to find out what she really valued!
She had a daughter who was a single mom to two girls. Her daughter needed to work more hours but she couldn’t afford the childcare. My patient wanted to help her daughter, but her health issues prevented this. Her granddaughters were young and she wasn’t able to physically keep up with them and keep them safe.
She wanted to help her family.
THAT is what was important to her! That’s what could motivate her toward change, and that’s what needed to be the focus of our conversation, not her health!
Motivational Interviewing Tip of the Week: What does your client value? Look for the values and reflect them! “It’s important to you…” Once we know what our clients value, then we can focus the conversation on what really matters to them, not what we think should matter. That’s where real change begins.
