„‚ CONDITIONS THAT HINDER EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

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ENCOURAGING OTHERS
TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR
Judy Corey Morton and D.M. Blair
The idea of “getting other people to do what you want them to do” raises uncomfortable
feelings for many individuals. Yet many people (health professionals, teachers,
managers, parents, and counselors) are expected to have the ability to encourage others
to change certain aspects of their behavior. The following model suggests one way to
help individuals make decisions about whether, when, and how to help others change
their behavior. Although there are no guaranteed ways to change another’s behavior, it is
possible to increase the likelihood that others will change. The likelihood of change is
affected by the strategy chosen.
ASSUMPTIONS
This model is based on a number of assumptions:
■ People are capable of changing their behavior (that is, they can lose weight, learn
to climb mountains, and so on).
■ People cannot be made to change; they must have a part in deciding if they will
change—and, if so, how.
■ People like and need to make their own decisions and solve their own problems,
and they have a right to do so.
■ Intervening is one way of expressing care and respect for others.
■ In some cases people have a right to impose their will on those around them.
■ The interpersonal relationship is a tool that can be used to assist others in
considering behavioral change.
DEFINITIONS
Three basic terms are essential to understanding the model:
1. Intervention. This is the process by which a person enters into a situation for the
purpose of assisting another (others) to consider changing his or her (their) behavior.
Originally published in The 1979 Annual Handbook for Group Facilitators by John E. Jones and J. William Pfeiffer (Eds.), San Diego,
CA: Pfeiffer & Company.
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The Pfeiffer Library Volume 6, 2nd Edition. Copyright ©1998 Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer