Conversations to encourage behavioural change in the workplace

Objectives:

Participants are introduced to an evidence-based communication approach for evoking change readiness among employees. Central to this approach, which is known in health psychology as Motivational Interviewing (MI), is the premise that persons faced with changes often have an ambivalent attitude. On the one hand, they see the benefits of the new behaviour for the organisation and themselves. On the other hand, they find it difficult to abandon their familiar behaviour. MI aims to tilt the employee's ambivalence favour of change. Expressions that speak against change ('sustain talk') are discouraged and expressions in favour of change ('change talk') are encouraged. A collaborative conversational style is used that reinforces the employees' own motivation and commitment to change. The key features of MI are illustrated with excerpts from professional conversations and participants are enabled to practise a number of important conversation techniques to become familiar with the method.