Chapter 12 Influencing Skills

Microskills Hierarchy Personal style and theory Skill Integration Influencing skills and strategies Reflection of meaning Focusing Confrontation Five-stage interview structure Reflection of feeling Encouraging, paraphrasing, and summarizing Client observation skills Open and closed questions Attending behavior Ethics and multicultural competence

Influencing Skills Designed to change way helpee thinks and acts Proactive approach to change Specific alternatives for action and restorying Used sparingly Ethical use mandates understanding of power differential between helpee and helper

Determining Impact of Influencing on Helpee Confrontation Impact Scale Denial Partial examination Acceptance and recognition but no change Generation of a new solution Development of new, larger, and more inclusive constructs, patterns, or behaviors--transcendence

Interpersonal Influence Continuum Encouraging/restating Paraphrasing Reflection of feelings Reflection of Meaning Open Questions Closed Questions Focusing Inform/instruct/advice/etc. Self-disclosure Feedback Interpretation/reframe Logical consequences Directive Confrontation Low Moderate Triad High

Interpretation Presents helpees with hypotheses about relationships or meanings among their behaviors Interpretation differs from listening responses in that it deals with the implicit part of a message—the part the helpee does not talk about explicitly or directly

Reframing Explore how an incident or situation is typically perceived (by helpee) and to offer another view or frame from helper Assists helpee by providing alternative ways to view a problem behavior without directly challenging the behavior itself.

Logical Consequences Assist helpee to think through outcomes of a possible action Steps Use listening to understand situation Seek positive and negative consequences of decision/action Provide data Summarize both positive and negative Helpees decide on course of action

Self-Disclosure Use cautiously Be brief Steps: Personal pronoun Verb for content, feeling, or both Object coupled with adverb and adjective descriptors Feeling words and expression of feeling

Feedback Providing helpees with data on how you view them Helpees are in charge (you can ask) Focus on strengths or something that helpee can do something about Concrete and specific Relatively nonjudgmental Lean and precise Check out how feedback was received

Information/Advice/Opinion/ Suggestion Helpers have something to offer helpees (where to find career help, how to relax, etc.) Be sure helpee is ready to hear information or advice Be clear, specific, concrete, and timely Check with helpee that ideas have been understood

Directives A broad array of strategies where you tell the helpee what to do Involve helpee as co-participant Use appropriate visual, vocal tone, verbal following, and body language Be clear and concrete Check out what helpee heard