FINALLY!
An alternative to the plague of the "Drive-By Training"!
As budgets get tighter and the need for cost-effective learning increases, new approaches to "knowledge transfer" are essential for organizations who want to focus on sustainability. Members of our training group have a strong belief that organizations simply cannot afford to allow workshop training to be where the learning process stops. And - that idea is not just a "belief". Good evidence abounds that if all you do is "throw some classroom training at people" - you will likely need to throw it at them again, and again, and again - to maintain the behaviour change that is initiated in workshops.Spraying a group of people with an onslaught of "magic bullets" - in the hope that some of them "hit"in the right places, is simply not an effective (much less cost-effective) way of doing business. That is why we created the "Practice Pieces" learning resource. It offers a practical solution to those organizations that want to move toward creating customized and sustainable "Learning System" for M.I.
This 3-day workshop provides an excellent mix of education and opportunities for skill practice so as to maximize learning-transfer to workplace applications. It often serves as the foundation for the process by which people learn how to learn to apply MI. To accomplish that, our experience is that learners need to:
This three-day workshop leaves those with a previous background in this approach feeling like they have stretched every M.I. muscle in their repertoire! We begin with a brief overview of the spirit and intent of Motivational Interviewing, and a recap of the Transtheoretical Model of Change. Then, a menu of options is provided, from which participants can choose up to 8 "workout sessions" (approximately 1 hour each) to enhance various interviewing competencies.
That's important - because the developers of MI note that learning the approach entails a similar process to that of learning to play a musical instrument. Three things are required:
Sometimes, when workshop participants return to their workplaces after a training session, they wonder "is what I am now doing really MI? Some ask themselves "how would I know if I was doing "real MI" as opposed to just good reflective listening, or sound basic counselling practice?"More importantly, those who want to obtain real competency in the MI approach will ask themselves "What behaviours do I need to "tweak" in order to get better outcomes with my clients? How can I develop more fidelity with the standards for competent use of MI?" 
We all know that nobody can't learn to modify their behaviour, including counselling behaviour, without good quality, accurate feedback. Still. sometimes obtaining that kind of feedback can be a little intimidating, if not downright scarey! The question becomes how to obtain feedback which is devoid of judgement, evaluation, and criticism, in a way that will inform better adherence to MI skill - and that will allow for some fun in the process.
Two essential skills in developing competency in MI are (1) learning to "listen up" for the language of change that suggests clients are becoming more ready for commitment and action planning, and (2) learning how to elicit such language from clients. "Change Talk" is the "gold nugget" for which all the "mining" in MI is designed. It is the "pay dirt" and the "pay off" for all the hard work of using skillful MI to strategically guide clients in the direction of a target behaviour. Change Talk is the the fuel that drives willingness to tap into more concrete action planning and goal setting. Without the ability to recognize change talk and "work with it" as a way to harness motivation, there is a tendency to simply use MI skills to be a great listener, and to develop great rapport with clients, but with no resulting behaviour change! 
We have been asked, many times, how best to present information and "material" to clients in a way that enhances motivation for change - or - at the very least - isn't a complete "turn-off"! Paul has facilitated workshops and information sessions for well over 5000 people and has a wealth of knowledge and skill related to how to make client presentationsuseful, productive, creative, fun, and impactful. His presentations are consistently rated as "excellent" by participants all across Canada, and he often presents to rave reviews at conferences and other large gatherings. The success of Paul's teaching is due, in large part, to the fact that people WANT to take his courses. They look forward to them - for reasons that need not be a secret! This custom designed, agency-tailored workshop is designed to allow participants to understand and practice: 
Most all new learners coming out of MI workshops are energized in the awareness that despite the fact that it is an effective intervention with many client groups, it is also very easy to understand! We all know, however, that "understanding" MI and "practicing" MI are two different things! Clearly, if the goal is to enhance practice, it is not enough just to "learn about" this approach. That's where the "Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Coding System" (MITI 3.1) comes in. 
