1. It Only Happens When I Dance With You!
Working with Subject Matter Experts
Jeffrey A. Bradshaw
Welcome to It only happens when I dance with you. This presentation is designed to help you work collaboratively with Subject Matter Experts to implement positive change by using Motivational Interviewing.

2. When working with SME’s, which of these best represents you?
Ask the audience: When working with SME’s, which of these best represents you?
Show of hands: Boxing
Show of hands: Dancing
Elicit responses

3. Motivational Interviewing
Through Motivational Interviewing, we can all learn to dance our way into positive change with SME’s. This means that we move forward, together, instead of boxing our way to positive change and moving in opposite directions.

4. Definition
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative SME-centered form of guiding to elicit and strengthen motivation for change.
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative SME-centered form of guiding to elicit and strengthen motivation for change. So what does this mean? This means that ID’s work collaboratively with SME’s to help them change a behavior. The SME is the center of the focus. It is their idea to change.
Ask the audience: As Instructional Designers, what are some challenges you face when working with SME’s with regards to making a change?
Elicit responses
If a flip chart is available, write down the responses.

5. Focus
Motivational Interviewing (MI) focuses on exploring and resolving ambivalence and centers on motivational processes within the SME to facilitate change. MI supports change in a manner congruent with the SME’s own values and concerns.
Ask the audience: In your opinion, why are SME’s ambivalent to change?
What do they value? What are their concerns?
Elicit responses
Write responses on the flip chart if available.

6. Approach
Motivational Interviewing is grounded in a respectful stance with a focus on building rapport in the initial stages of the ID/SME relationship. A central concept of MI is the identification, examination, and resolution of ambivalence about changing behavior. Ambivalence is seen as a natural part of the change process. In Motivational Interviewing, ID’s are attuned to the SME’s ambivalence and “readiness to change” and thoughtfully utilize techniques and strategies that are responsive to the SME.
Ask the audience:
Let’s say, for instance, an SME wants to keep residential PowerPoints in a course. You, as an Instructional Designer, know that these PowerPoints will need to change in the online environment. What processes have you used to address this situation? At what point do you recognize the SME is ready to change?
Elicit responses
Write responses on the flip chart if available.

7. 3 Essential Elements
MI is a particular kind of conversation about change.
MI is a collaborative, ID/SME partnership that honors autonomy.
MI is evocative. It seeks to call forth the SME’s own motivation and commitment.
The 3 essential elements of Motivational Interviewing include the following.
MI is a particular kind of conversation about change,
MI is a collaborative SME/ID partnership that honors autonomy. ( autonomy being in independence of one’s own thoughts or actions)
MI is evocative: It seeks to call forth the SME’s own motivation and commitment.
Ask the audience:
Let’s go back to our PowerPoint conversation. When you talked to the SME, did you allow the SME to feel “in charge/empowered” of/by the conversation?
Do you think they would be more willing to change if they feel in control of what’s happening?
Elicit responses
Write answers on the flip chart if available.

8. How does Motivational Interviewing work?
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal oriented method of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen an SME’s motivation for and movement toward a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the SME’s own arguments for change.
Now that we’ve defined Motivational Interviewing and discussed focus, approach, and essential elements, let’s talk a little bit about how it works.
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal oriented method of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen an SME’s motivation for and movement toward a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the SME’s own arguments for change.
Ask the audience:: So now you’ve had the conversation about the residential PowerPoints. What is the goal of changing the PowerPoints? ( Student success) So then you have to ASK THE QUESTION, “If we want students to succeed in the online environment how do we need to change the PowerPoints?”
Elicit responses
In this way the SME presents the argument for change.

9. The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is more than the use of a set of technical interventions. It is characterized by a particular “spirit” or “way of being” which is in the context of interpersonal relationships within which the techniques are employed.
The spirit of MI is based on three key elements
Collaboration (vs. Confrontation)
Evocation (Drawing out, Rather than imposing ideas)
Autonomy (vs. Authority)
Motivational Interviewing isn’t just a set of interventions. It is a way of being. As Instructional Designers, you have to be real, true, honest, and sincere. If you come across as unfeeling or uncaring you will not get the desired results. The SME can tell when you are not being sincere. You have to work together to make a change and achieve a goal. You want to draw out ideas from the SME and let them feel as though they are independent thinkers (autonomy). Keep in mind your goal is to dance together with the SME to make a change rather than boxing your way to change.
Ask the audience: Sticking with our PowerPoint example: How can you as an ID collaborate with the SME to change the residential PowerPoints?
How can you draw the SME out so you can discuss making the change?
How can you help the SME feel as though they are independent thinkers?
Elicit responses

10. Collaboration
Collaboration is a partnership between the Instructional Designer and the Subject Matter Expert, grounded in the point of view and experiences of the Subject Matter Expert.
This contrasts with some other approaches, which are based on the ID assuming an “expert” role and at times confronting the SME and imposing their own perspective on the SME.
Collaboration builds rapport and facilitates trust in a helping relationship, which can be challenging. This does not mean that the ID automatically agrees with the SME about the nature of the problem or about the changes that may be most apparent. .
Even though the SME and ID may see things differently, the process is focused on mutual understanding not on who is right or wrong.
Ask the audience:
How do we approach the SME without taking on an “expert” role? How do we get eh SME to see that using residential PowerPoints may not be best for the student if we do not take on the “expert” role?
How do we as ID’s build rapport, facilitate trust, and help the SME to make an appropriate change?
Elicit responses

11. Evocation
Evocation is where the Instructional Designer is drawing out the SME’s own thoughts and ideas.
Motivation and commitment to change are most powerful and durable when they come from the SME.
No matter what reasons the Instructional Designer might offer to convince the SME of the need to change or how much they might want the SME to do so, lasting change are more likely to occur when the SME discovers their own reasons and determination to change. The Instructional Designer’s job is to “draw out” the SME’s own motivations and skills for change, not to tell them what to do or why they should do it.
Has anyone ever said to you, “You know what your problem is?” This question is very off putting. However, if you come to the conclusion on your own, you are more likely to address the problem and make a change. As Instructional Designers you are guiding the SME to discover areas needing improvement ( discovering the discrepancy which we will talk about later in the presentation) through the process of Motivational Interviewing. Through specific strategies, you will help them find their own pathway to change.
Think about our example of dancing together. Instructional Designers have to guide SME’s through the steps so that the two can work together to make a change.

12. Autonomy
Remember that autonomy is being in independence of one’s own thoughts or actions. Motivational Interviewing recognizes that the true power for change rests within the SME. Ultimately, it is up to the Instructional Designer to guide the SME to make a change.
Autonomy is empowering to the SME, but also gives them responsibility for their own actions. Instructional Designers reinforce the concept that there is no single “right way” to change, but rather, there are multiple ways to change.
In addition to deciding whether they will make a change, SME’s are encouraged to take the lead in developing a “Menu of Options” as to how to achieve the desired change.
Just like in dancing, one partner must lead the other partner across the dance floor. Each knows when to lead and when to follow so they can gracefully dance across the dance floor together.
By empowering SME’s through choices, the SME feels ownership in decisions being made concerning the online course.

13. Menu of Changes
One strategy is for an Instructional Designer and an SME to collaboratively develop a Menu of Changes. The SME chooses the areas of greatest importance to change. This gives the SME opportunity to be in charge and to make choices. (autonomy)
The next section of this presentation explains the 4 principles of Motivational Interviewing.

14. The Principles of Motivational Interviewing
Building on and bringing to life the elements of Motivational Interviewing involves 4 principles.
Express Empathy
Support Self- efficacy
Roll with Resistance
Develop Discrepancy
Read the screen

15. Express Empathy
There is a difference between showing sympathy and showing empathy.
Sympathy is feeling compassion, sorrow, or pity for the hardships that others encounter.
Empathy involves seeing the world through another’s eyes, thinking about things in the same way, feeling things as someone else feels them, and sharing in the other’s experiences.
This approach provides the basis for SME’s to be heard and understood, and, in turn, SME’s are more likely to honestly share their experiences in depth.
The process of expressing empathy relies on the Instructional Designer being able to see the world as the SME sees it.
When you think about a dance team, they have to move together understanding each other’s movements and footsteps. This is empathy. You can’t understand your dance partner by looking at the dance floor from outside of a window. (sympathy) You have to get inside, be a part of the dance team, on the dance floor.

16. Support Self-Efficacy
MI is a strengths-based approach that believes that SMEs have within themselves the capability to change successfully.
An SME believes that change is actually possible and is needed to instill hope about making a difficult change in the future.
Many SMEs feel they have tried to work with ID’s in the past and been unable to achieve and maintain the desired change, creating doubt about their ability to succeed.
In Motivational Interviewing, ID’s support self-efficacy by focusing on previous successes and highlighting skills and strengths that have already been achieved by SME’s.
Review the slide

17. Roll with Resistance
Resistance occurs when SME’s experience a conflict between their view of the problem and that of the ID or when the ID feels their freedom (autonomy) is being impinged upon.
Resistance is based on the SME’s ambivalence about change. In MI, Instructional Designer’s avoid resistance by not confronting the SME. When resistance occurs, ID’s work to de-escalate and avoid a negative interaction. Instead, they roll with it. Actions and statements that show resistance remain unchallenged especially early in the ID/SME relationship.
MI values the SME defining the problem and developing his/her own solutions. This leaves little room for resistance.
A key concept is that Instructional Designers avoid the “righting” reflex, This is a tendency to ensure that the SME understands and agrees with the need to change and to solve the problem for the SME.
Ask the audience:
At what point in the ID/SME conference do you feel you are losing control? When do you feel your opinions as an ID are being overlooked?
How would you handle the residential PowerPoint presentation? Would you tell the SME that PowerPoints can’t be used because you will not be there to explain what is written? (the righting reflex)
How can you avoid a confrontation?

18. Roll with resistance
Keep in mind our analogy of the dance partners. Do you want to be sparring partners or dancing partners who gracefully dance with SME’s to make positive changes?

19. Develop Discrepancy
Motivation for change occurs when SME’s perceive a mismatch between “ where they are and where they want to be”. An ID using Motivational Interviewing works to develop this by helping the SME discover the discrepancies between their current circumstances/behavior and their values and future goals for student learning.
When SME’s recognize that their current behaviors place them in conflict with their values and goals, they are more likely to experience increased motivation to make changes.
It is important that the ID using Motivational Interviewing does not use strategies to develop discrepancy at the expense of other principles, yet gradually help SME’s to become aware of how current behaviors may lead them away from, rather than toward, their important goals.
How can ID’s accomplish this task? In the next section, we will review Motivational Interviewing skills and strategies.
The goal in education is to provide excellence in learning so the student can reach the highest level of achievement.
The discrepancy in our situation is using residential PowerPoint presentations.
Ask the audience: How do we direct SME’s to understand that using residential PowerPoints leads us away from achieving excellence in education rather than toward it?
Elicit responses
This is a segue to the next section skills and strategies.

20. MI Skills and Strategies
The practice of Motivational Interviewing involves the skillful use of certain techniques for bringing to life the MI spirit, demonstrating MI principles, and guiding the process toward eliciting SME Change Talk and commitment for change.
Change Talk involves statements or non-verbal communications indicating the SME is considering the possibility of change.
Review the slide

21. The OARS Framework
OARS is an easy way to remember the basic approach used in Motivational Interviewing.
Open-ended questions
Affirmations
Reflections
Summaries

22. Open-ended Questions
Open-ended questions are those not easily answered with yes/no or a short answer. Open-ended questions invite elaboration and require thinking more deeply about an issue. They create forward momentum used to help the SME explore the reasons for possibility of change.
How do you use PowerPoint presentations in your residential course?
How do you think those presentations will work in an online course?
How do you envision students using them?
How will ensure students are learning the material through the use of PowerPoints?

23. Affirmations Affirmations are statements that recognize SME strengths.
They assist in building rapport and help the SME see themselves in a different, more positive light.
To be effective, affirmations must be congruent and genuine.
The use of affirmations can help SME’s feel that change is possible even when previous efforts to change have been unsuccessful.
Affirmations often involve reframing behaviors or concerns as evidence of positive SME qualities.
Affirmations are a key element in facilitating the MI principle of support in self-efficacy.
Here are some examples of affirmation statements.
I understand you have been teaching this subject for over 20 years.
I appreciate the way you use PowerPoints in your teaching methodology.
You did an excellent job identifying learning objectives and outcomes

24. Reflections
Reflection brings to life the principle of expressing empathy by careful listening and reflective responses, the SME comes to feel that the ID understands the issues from their perspective. This guides the SME toward change, and supports the goal-directed aspect of MI.
In the use of reflections, the ID guides the SME toward resolving ambivalence by focusing on the negative aspects of maintaining the status quo and the positive aspects of making change.
There are several levels of reflection ranging from simple to more complex. Different types of reflections are skillfully used as SMEs demonstrate different levels of readiness to change. For example, some types of reflections are more helpful when the SME seems resistant and others more appropriate when the SME offers statements more indicative of commitment to change.
The following is an example of using reflection statements.
SME: “ I’m wondering if you could help me understand why I can’t use my residential PowerPoint presentations.” I don’t understand why they have to be changed.
Instructional Designer “ You’re feeling hopeless about the online course creation process. You don’t feel like this is going to succeed and you’re not sure anybody or anything will help.”
SME: “ I just can’t figure out why this has to be so difficult. Everything comes so easily in my residential course. Why can’t I keep everything the same? (status quo)
Instructional Designer: “ I realize you are frustrated about changing your PowerPoints, because you want the PowerPoint presentations to stay the same. However, in online learning, you aren’t there to talk students through the presentations. Maybe we can find a way to use them online in such a way that students will get the most benefit from them.” Do you have any ideas on what we could do?”
SME: “Could we do something like record my voice and have the PowerPoints narrated?”
Instructional Designer: “That sounds like a great start. Let me look into it and see if we can make that happen.”

25. Summaries
Summaries are a special type of reflection where the Instructional Designer recaps what has occurred during the ID/SME meeting.
Summaries communicate interest, understanding, and call attention to important elements in the discussion. They may be used to shift attention or direction and prepare the SME to “move on”.
Summaries can address the SME’s ambivalence about change.
Summaries can also promote the development of a discrepancy by strategically selecting what information should be included and what can be minimized or excluded.
The following are some examples of summary statements.
“So let’s go over what we have talked about so far.”
“A minute ago we talked about keeping PowerPoint presentations the same in the online course as they are in the residential course. (ambivalence to change)
“We also talked about the value of student learning and our goal to offer the best online course to receive the highest level of achievement. “ ( developing the discrepancy)
“You mentioned changing the PowerPoint presentations by adding an audio narration in order to meet the needs of the online student.” ( Change Talk)
“ So let’s take some time to create a script for the narration. I will send you a calendar request for a follow-up meeting for Tuesday of next week.”

26. Change Talk
Change Talk is defined as statements by the SME revealing consideration of, motivation for, and a commitment to change.
In Motivational Interviewing, Instructional Designers guide SME’s to expressions of Change Talk as a pathway to change.
Research indicates a clear correlation between SME statements about change and outcomes, and Instructional Designer reported levels of success in changing behavior.
The more someone talks about change, the more likely they are to change.
Different types of Change Talk can be described using the mnemonic DARN-CAT.
Review the slide

27. Identifying Change Talk: The darn framework
Desire: I want to change
Ability: I can change
Reason: It’s important to change
Need: I should change
When Instructional Designers identify Change Talk, they should notice the SME recognizes the following.
The desire to change
The ability to change
The reason for change
The need to change
The SME realizes the residential PowerPoint won’t work online and has the desire to change. The SME has the ability to change by suggesting audio narration. The SME realizes the reason for change is for students to achieve the greatest success from the online course. The SME realizes the PowerPoints need to change in order for this to happen.

28. Identifying Change Talk: CAT
Commitment: I will make changes.
Activation: I am ready, prepared, and willing to change.
Taking Steps: I am taking specific actions to change.
As Instructional Designers, listen for the following indicators demonstrating Change Talk.
The SME says:
“ I am committed to making these changes.”
“ I am ready, prepared, and willing to change.”
“ I am taking specific actions to change.”
Ask the audience: In what way did the SME commit to change? Action? Steps?

29. Evoking Change Talk
There are specific strategies that are likely to elicit and support Change Talk in Motivational Interviewing.
For Instructional Designers, the goal is to promote positive change. Identifying indicators represented in Change Talk is the beginning of Instructional Designers creating positive change in SME’s. So, how do we get SME’s to understand the need for change? The next portion of this presentation shows some strategies for evoking Change Talk. Always keep in the back of your mind that you, the Instructional Designer, and the SME are dancing your way to positive change together and not boxing your way to change on opposite sides.

30. Strategies for evoking Change Talk
Ask Evocative Questions: Ask open-ended questions, the answers will show Change Talk.
Explore Decisional Balance: Ask for the pros and cons of both changing and staying the same.
Good things/Not So Good Things: Ask about the positives and negatives of the target behavior.
Ask for Elaboration/ Examples: When a change talk theme emerges, ask for more details.
“In what ways?”
“Tell me more.”
“What does that look like?”
“When was the last time that happened?”
Look Back: Ask about a time before the target behavior emerged.
How were things better?
How were things different?
Review the slide.

31. Strategies
Look Forward: Ask what might happen if things continue as they are (status quo).
If you were 100% successful in making the changes you want, what would be different?
How would you like things to be in 5 years?
Query Extremes: What is the worst/best that could happen?
Use Change Rulers:
On a scale of 1 to 10 how important is it to you to change?
Why are you at “5” for example, and not at 10?
How confident are you that you could make the change if you wanted to?
Come Alongside: Perhaps this change is so important to you that you won’t give up, no matter what the cost.
Review the slide

32. The Q-Sort
The Q-Sort is #10 in the list of strategies evoking change. Instructional Designers provide a set of cards representing areas SME’s value in a course. SME’s sort these values into the following categories.
Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important
Then, SME’s prioritize the important stack.
Review the slide

33. The Q-Sort
Instructional Designers cut these into 12 individual cards and present them randomly to SME’s. SME’s sort them into categories of important, somewhat important, and not important.

34. The Q-Sort
SME’s sort the cards according to importance.

35. The Q-Sort
SME’s prioritize the important stack. This becomes an example of the SME’s value system. As an Instructional Designer, you want to identify these areas first when making changes in the course. There should be a discussion that student success should be the number one priority.

36. which of these will best represent you in the future?
Now that you understand the concepts in Motivational Interviewing, which of these will best represent you in your future encounters with staff members?

37. Sources