Setting Goals Clients Own

I can remember in my early days of social work how much my enthusiasm clouded my ability to set goals with clients. 

The main issues were that 1. I was setting their goals more than they were, and 2. the goals weren’t attainable!

In retrospect, I can see how much my own biases and rose-colored thinking mucked things up quite a bit!

Motivational Interviewing offers us excellent tips for setting goals with clients. 

Let’s look at some common pitfalls to goal-setting, and Motivational Interviewing solutions!

#1

Pitfall: Thinking we know what a client wants to change and how they should get there

Tip: Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative process! Confirm the destination a client is seeking. Don’t assume! Learn about the change they want to make from the context of their values and life. Our clients know their lives better than we do! Ask about their ideas for change before sharing yours!

#2

Pitfall: Goals are too big or too vague

Tip: How can you help a client break down their goal into smaller, more measurable steps? Get specific! SMART goals are an excellent tool! Here’s a SMART goal article.

#3

Pitfall: Underestimating client confidence

Tip: Once a client has set a specific goal, ask a scaling question. “On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, how confident are you in your ability to do this?” If they are below a 7, it’s time to revisit the goal and break it down into smaller, more attainable chunks! We don’t want clients leaving a goal-setting conversation set up to fail!

Motivational Interviewing Tip of the Week: To sum up, clarify the goals! Confirm the destination! The goal belongs to the client, it’s not about us! Help break down goals into attainable steps, and make sure to check their confidence in their plan before sending them out the door!

Watch my full video here!