Addressing deficit performance through coaching: using motivational interviewing for performance improvement in coaching

Resistance from coachees is a problem met byexecutive coaches in all fields. The continued interest in executive coachingby organisations has seen coaching beginning to be used more widely. Anincreasing number of low and average performing managers are following theirhigh performing peers into the executive coaching room. One particularchallenge facing the coaching psychologist is how to engage individuals wheremotivation for change is low.

This paper draws on a five-stage model forbehaviour change and an approach developed in the clinical setting which canusefully be applied to executive coaching to help the coaching psychologistaddress some of these behavioural challenges and add to their core coachingtechniques through combining Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques withtheir existing repertoire of skills.

The paper starts with a review of thedevelopment of motivational interviewing, before moving to explore the evidencefor MI as an intervention, which is largely within the health sector. The paperbuilds on this evidence by exploring how MI may be applied within non-clinicalsettings, as a tool to address poor performance resulting from low motivationto change. The paper also suggests other potential uses for MI such as inhealth coaching around stop smoking campaigns or obesity.

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