Ta-Nehisi Coates, Humility, and Motivational Interviewing Spirit

Y’all, one thing I love about blogging is that I get to write about whatever inspires me this week about Motivational Interviewing! I see connections everywhere, this week author Ta-Nehisi Coates inspired me to write about humility! 

So here is the backstory to my Motivational Interviewing inspiration today.

I went to see Ta-Nehisi Coates speak recently.

(And if you are asking yourself, who is he? Check him out here. His book Between The World and Me is a must-read for any American).

Ta-Nehisi spoke eloquently about the state of our country, racism, white supremacy, capitalism, education, & reparations. It was stirring and thought-provoking. I am so grateful to have had the chance to attend.

The format of the talk was an interview. One question/answer really stood out to me as it connects to Motivational Interviewing. 

You see, the city of Asheville, where I live, was the second city in the nation to pledge money for reparations. Asheville designated $2.1 million dollars in reparations to black residents.

The interviewer asked Tanahasi, “What advice would you give the City of Asheville on next steps in the reparation process?”

To which he responded, “I don’t know! I just flew into Asheville today, I’ve never been here before. Who am I to tell you what you should do?”

One can argue that Tanahasi is an expert at speaking on reparations. He wrote an article that is widely shared called The Case for Reparations, he has testified in Congress on the topic, and has spoken about reparations widely. 

Yet, even as an expert, Tanahasi also embodies humility. 

He demonstrated humility consistently and doggedly throughout his interview. Every time the interviewer tried to put him on a pedestal, he took himself down. (And don’t our clients sometimes do this? Turn to us as if we have answers for them? Oh what a dangerous thing to be placed on a pedestal by another!)

(If you want to read more about this moment of interview, it actually made our local paper!)

This is exactly what we strive to do as an interviewer in Motivational Interviewing. 

We strive to NOT be the expert.

We strive NOT tell people what to do with their lives, as we cannot possibly know all of the nuances and values and processes of another. 

We want to partner with someone as they explore solutions. We want to learn from them, about them. We are there to listen, to guide, and to support.

In Motivational Interviewing, we use statements to support client autonomy, to take ourselves off any pedestals. 

This could look a lot like Tanahasi’s response to the question “What should we do?”

We may respond, “You are the expert in your life,” or, “Before I share my thoughts on that, I’m curious about your thoughts?” 

Motivational Interviewing Tip of the Week: Humility y’all! Yes, we have expertise, but so do our clients. Don’t assume to be the expert in anyone else’s life. Our job is to support the autonomy and expertise of clients.

I heard one Motivational Interviwing trainer share the metaphor, “You would not go into someone else’s home to rearrange their furniture.” Think about it. How do embody the spirit of humility with your clients? Would love to hear!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Watch my full video here!​​​​​​​