Course #8: 11/8/2023

When to use MI?

• Negative emotions want to survive. Use MI when you’re angry
• People aren’t used to being listened to
• People aren’t used to bringing up a polarizing opinion and not being met with tribalism

Coaching:

• Ethical question: am I charging people a lot of money for a lousy service?
  • Can have sessions be free, but boundaried
  • Go low ($100 to $150) without going too low that it calls the validity into question
• Psychological question: am I better than at least half of my colleagues?

Using MI with a zealot:

• When you hear someone say something crazy, you should give them some affirmation “that’s interesting, tell me a little bit more about that”
• Look for ambivalence. Tribalism is the main issue between humans and rationality. Ask people about ambivalence with a tone of curiosity. What do you know about that? What do you make of that? Be super curious. Inject some uncertainty.
• In terms of how to change people’s minds, presenting facts causes people to believe the thing they already believed even more.
• Once someone’s sense of self is built around some set of facts or ideas, you can’t change their minds with other facts or ideas. MI is the blueprint to change people’s minds by helping them to explore their own stance.

Questions for open floor time:

• How can I use MI in everyday conversation?
• How can I use MI in the workplace?
• Can I do MI sessions with friends?
• What does becoming a coach look like?
• How else can I explore psychology / therapy without actually going to grad school?