Motivational Interviewing Principles (Miller & Rollnick)

Motivational Interviewing (MI), developed by Miller and Rollnick, is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person's own motivation for change. Four core processes: Engaging (building rapport), Focusing (identifying target behavior), Evoking (drawing out the person's own reasons for change), and Planning (developing commitment). MI's key technique resolves ambivalence—people hold simultaneous reasons to change and to stay the same. The practitioner elicits 'change talk' rather than providing arguments, because people are more persuaded by their own reasoning. The 'righting reflex'—the impulse to tell people what to do—is MI's primary enemy, as unsolicited advice triggers psychological reactance.

When to use it

When direct advice-giving has failed to produce change. When someone is ambivalent about changing. When having difficult conversations about performance or behavior. When designing persuasive communication that respects autonomy. When coaching or mentoring.

How it can help

For leaders, MI transforms performance conversations. Instead of telling someone what to do (triggering reactance), ask open questions eliciting their own reasons: 'What concerns you about the current approach?' 'On a scale of 1-10, how important is this?' Then: 'Why a 6 and not a 3?' For entrepreneurs, MI principles apply to sales—helping prospects articulate their own pain points beats pitching solutions. For personal change, journal your own reasons rather than reading others' advice.