Workers in health and community services must empower the people they work with and help them get to a place where they can make informed decisions about their own lives.
Regardless of how much you think a person should change, you cannot force them to. First, the person needs to understand why a change is needed, and second, they need to be motivated to make that change.
This approach helps people to explore and resolve uncertainty, ambivalence, and a lack of confidence.
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Motivational interviewing and a coercive approach
Motivational interviewing is radically different to a coercive approach.
Motivational interviewing is a method that encourages a person to identify their motivations for change and strengthen their commitment to a specific goal or behaviour. It uses compassion to help guide individuals toward their desired change. It can support someone identify their own (internal) motivation for change.
A coercive approach is a strategy to encourage change that relies on external motivations, including the communication of adverse consequences. It involves pressuring a person to change something that you believe is in their best interests.
When you use warnings, rewards or confrontation to encourage someone to change, you are using a coercive approach. It is a form of motivation that is often less desirable in healthcare settings because it does not empower clients but rather attempts to push them towards a certain behaviour through the fear of negative results.
Case study
Read the case study below to learn about identifying and resolving effective communication, then answer the question that follows.
John works as an office manager at a large welfare agency. Recently, John’s supervisor, Nailah, has noticed that John is underperforming at work and seems to be disengaged from the team. When Nailah raises the issue with John, he is initially very defensive. ‘No, I am not!’ he replies.
Nailah pauses to give John time to add any additional thoughts. John continues, ‘It’s not like I don't want to be part of the team, but no one cares what I have to say anyway’. Nailah nods and reflects on what John has said in her own words. Nailah then asks, ‘What makes you feel like nobody cares what you have to say?’
John tells Nailah that he feels quite isolated because the rest of the team is also located in another section of the building. He also says that some members of the term use terminology that he is unfamiliar with, making him feel stupid to keep asking what they mean.
After listening carefully to what John is telling her and clarifying some points, Nailah realises that a combination of factors has led to a breakdown in communication between John and the rest of the team. For example, his physical location in the office has left him feeling isolated, as has the team’s reliance on terminology specific to the organisation. John’s perception that other people do not listen to him has made him reluctant to share his ideas with the team.
Check your understanding
Respond to the question below and select ‘Check’ to see if you are correct.
Collaboration and confrontation
Exchanging, discussing, and collaborating on ideas is crucial for consultation, communication and problem-solving in the workplace. Collaboration involves people working together to accomplish common goals and is important when working with teams delivering services to clients to ensure all aspects of their care are covered.
Collaboration goes beyond mere cooperation by requiring joint efforts that often include making difficult choices and compromises. It's a deeper partnership where participants may need to sacrifice individual interests for the collective goal.
Examples of team collaboration are:
- centre-based program staff inform the residential staff of any issues during the day and vice versa
- having a system to pass on client information so that all staff are informed, such as in-home care staff being aware of any eating or personal care issues a client might have.
Important
Confrontational communication aims to prompt clients' self-awareness about issues they may ignore or avoid. Most people think of confrontation as a negative communication style; however, confrontation can have a positive outcome if done constructively and respectfully.
Unhealthy confrontation is done as punishment, revenge or payback. It typically involves shouting or nasty or hurtful behaviour.
Healthy confrontation affirms and validates the other person while also providing an opportunity for them to share their concerns openly and honestly.
Confrontation – even healthy confrontation – should be used with care in the workplace. It requires a skilled approach and the ability to balance firmness and compassion. Whatever approach you use, make sure you comply with relevant organisational processes and procedures, such as codes of conduct, and legislation, such as anti-discrimination laws.
Select to learn more
Select each bar to expand and reveal an example of collaboration versus unhealthy and healthy confrontation.
Read to learn more
Read The art of professional confrontation in the workplace to learn more about positive confrontation.
Conflict between your team members can impact the care of clients.
Read to learn more
Read How to manage (and not be afraid of) workplace conflict for strategies to resolve difficult issues at work.
Check your understanding
Check your understanding about collaboration and confrontation. Fill in the blanks by dragging the words into the correct place, then select ‘Check’ to see if you are correct.