How to Conduct a Motivational Interview Decide for yourself what you really want, even when your will is weakest. Then use this worksheet to write powerful personal motivational statements to keep you on track. The Motivational Interview Set aside 20-30 minutes for your motivational interview. The interview includes four sections, each with a series of questions. You can answer these questions on your own, or ask a trusted friend to interview you. Involving a trusted friend is a good idea because it raises the stakes and forces you to examine yourself in a stronger light. We recommend it if you dare! Be sure to write down your answers to the interview questions. As important as the interview process is, the product is even more so. Don t just think about your answers, actually write them in. The simple act of putting your plan on paper will improve your chances of success by as much as 30 percent. And translating your answers into a brief but powerful personal motivation statement can help you reconnect with your true desires when moments of unwanted behavior hit. 1. Begin by clarifying your long-term goals. Picture yourself in five, ten, or twenty years. Use the space below to detail out this picture. What do you want to be doing? Where do you want to be? What do you want to have accomplished? How do you want to feel about yourself? Sample: I want to be a more effective, influential leader within my organization. I want to establish mutual respect with others, and I d like my communication with them to consistently reflect that. I want to feel good about the way I treat other people. I d like for people to think of me as someone who speaks the hard truth, yet does so in a way that builds others up instead of tears them down.
2. Consider the ways your own behavior could prevent you from accomplishing your long-term goals. If you don t change, if you stay on the track you are currently on, then what will your future be? We call this your default future. Describe your default future as accurately and in as much detail as you can. Don t sugarcoat it. Use vivid, strong language that will provoke yourself into acknowledging the truth about your future choices. Sample: I m not happy with the way I m viewed by others. While I m known for saying it like it is, people often find me rude, abrasive, and cold. They side step me or avoid working with me on projects if possible. Every once in a while I notice that I don t get asked to be on some cross-functional teams because of heated conversations I ve had with some of the people in other departments. I have few friends among my colleagues, and this makes my day-to-day work feel lifeless and robotic. I like my job; I just don t like who I am while doing my job. 3. What are some of the reasons you re ready to make a change? Write a few of those reasons below. Sample: I want to be happier at work. I see how my behavior affects those I work with, and I want to change.
4. Think about what you currently say to yourself during crucial moments. These are often justifications for giving in to the unwanted behavior. Make a list of the things you say to yourself. Sample: I say things like, I m too busy to have the conversations I know I should have with others. I m just passionate about what I do and that s a good thing. I ve always acted this way; that s who I am, and I ve been pretty successful too. Reflection Questions: How do you feel about these excuses? Are they good enough reasons to give in to the unwanted behavior? Do you believe they should let you off the hook? Look at each excuse above and decide how valid it is.
5. Determine what you will say to yourself during crucial moments of temptation. Take each of the excuses you just identified and develop the strongest, truest, and most vivid response to them you can. Write down what you will say to yourself to counteract any of the excuses that you don t think are valid. Sample: Excuse I m too busy to have the conversations I know I should have with others. I m just passionate about what I do and that s a good thing. I ve always acted this way; that s who I am, and I ve been pretty successful too. Response My relationships with others are weak. People don t respect me as much as they would if I took the time to communicate with them in more effective ways. And when I don t have those conversations, it ends up making work harder to accomplish in the long run. Passionate doesn t have to mean rude, abrasive, and mean. I can still be passionate about my work and treat others with respect. I too often use this excuse to absolve myself of listening to other views or being open to a different opinion. My personality isn t a restriction on my ability to improve. I can be me and be respectful. Being successful isn t just defined by my responsibilities or salary. It s also defined by who I am as a person. I ve actually been passed up for some important opportunities because of my style.
6. Now create a Personal Motivation Statement. Read over the points you made in parts 1, 2, 3, and 5 of your motivational interview. Take the most powerful reasons to change from those parts of the interview and distill them into brief but vivid, jarring, or inspiring statements that capture your personal motivation to change. Write them below. Then read them slowly and thoughtfully during crucial moments when you need to reconnect with your reasons to change. Sample: Others deserve to be treated with respect and understanding, like I want to be treated. I can be 100% honest, while also being 100% respectful. I have very experienced teammates, and I can learn from their expertise. I want to be viewed as an influential leader, not a bully. Work will get easier if I take the time to communicate with others. I will be happier as I build more friends and burn fewer bridges. I want to grow in my career not stay stagnant where I am. To learn additional skills from the award-winning VitalSmarts courses, register to attend a training near you. Visit www.vitalsmarts.com/summit for an exclusive discount.