This issue: Decisional Balance – a tool for helping clients who feel ambivalent about a change they’re making.
Jelena Jovanovic Moon reports
Origin of the tool
Decisional Balance is a tool which originated from Motivational Interviewing (MI), a person-centred counselling approach (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). It helps clients explore their reasons for and against change in order to make a decision about whether to embark on a change journey.
How it works
The client is invited to create a balance sheet, listing all advantages and disadvantages of changing and of staying the same. The coach helps the client deepen their self-understanding and reflect on their own behaviour and its impact on the future they wish to have. The focus is on resolving the ambivalence a client feels about the change by offering a structured analysis approach, underpinned by the consideration of a client’s core values.
Two MI principles underlie the approach: a) ambivalence is seen as a natural state as a person recognises arguments both for and against and thus lacks motivation to change; b) the coach listens with empathy and without offering any advice.
When does it work best?
Given its focus on the decision-making phase of behaviour change, the tool can be used in the early stages of coaching, when the readiness to change is still being explored but also for any ad hoc decision-making throughout the coaching relationship. It’s particularly helpful when clients report certainty about the need to change, but don’t start the process or don’t see it through. This reluctance and visible internal conflict flag up the ambivalence they might feel about the change.
I’ve used the tool both in cases where a client brought up ambivalent feelings by themselves and where a client wanted to discuss a plan for the change and it became clear they weren’t certain about making the change in the first place. I’ve also applied it to navigate through a client’s resistance to coaching, when they were sent by their manager (Passmore, 2007). In these instances we managed to dissect the pros and cons of changing their behaviour, and the discussion around their core values brought valuable insights to them.
How is it used?
The tool starts with consideration of a client’s core values, which puts them in a mindset of a bigger picture and top life/career priorities. With this clarity they take a deep dive into the advantages and disadvantages of (not) making a change.
The analysis starts with looking at the advantages of not making the change, which gives the client a chance to first acknowledge what they’re already doing well or the benefit of the current behaviour. Clients usually report that such an approach calms their anxiety about the change, as they’re asked to recognise the positives of the current state, which reduces the pressure to change, giving them a chance to evaluate both options equally. The conversation can then move to the advantages of changing, maintaining a positive outlook.
Clients are sometimes surprised by this, expecting that the next step would be looking at the disadvantages of not making the change. In my experience this ‘surprise’ factor and the initial focus on advantages reassures the client that either choice is acceptable, although implications differ. Decision-making then comes as a result of gained clarity and recognising the effect that change or no change would have on their life/career. Next, we explore the disadvantages of changing and finally not changing.
Subject to the specific nature of the change and the possible impact it can have on significant others in a client’s life/career, I encourage the client to consider the pros and cons of both options from their perspective.
To conclude, we summarise and the client is asked to reflect on which option is better aligned to their core values. The recommendation is to then encourage the client to talk more about the advantages of that option and the disadvantages of the other.
Next steps
- Invite the client to talk about their core values and life priorities
- Ask the client what might be the advantages of not changing/staying the same
- Ask the client what might be the advantages of changing
- Ask the client what might be the disadvantages of changing
- Ask the client what might be the disadvantages of not changing/staying the same
- If relevant to the topic, ask the client to explore (dis)advantages of (not) changing from the perspective of significant others
- Ask the client to reflect on which option is better aligned to their core values/life priorities and encourage them to talk more about this
- In the same or next session ask them about the decision they have made.
It’s beautiful to see people’s thinking unfold in front of you, and for me some of the most gratifying cases were when a client decided not to change, confirming to themselves that they’re good as they are and they were perhaps led/confused by other people’s standards/expectations. Whatever the decision, using the tool gives them a sense of control and drive, as it fuels intrinsic motivation for the decision made.
The Decisional Balance Sheet in Figure 1 can be shared with the client at the beginning of the conversation and populated throughout the session.
| Advantages | Disadvantages | |
| No Change | ① | ④ |
| Change | ② | ③ |
Figure 1: A Decisional Balance Sheet
Client’s perspective
With the realisation that with transformations at work I was going to have to make a career change, I requested some help evaluating my strengths and weaknesses in terms of management style and positioning in a male-dominated industry. It was also important to me to understand how I could make some changes to potentially help other women with their career paths should that opportunity arise.
I was aware of a need to adjust my management style, but I felt ambivalent about it and Jelena suggested we use a Decisional Balance exercise.
Going through this very simple, yet challenging session with Jelena, I was able to clarify and verbalise to myself pros and cons of changing my management style, while realising why I was reluctant to do it. It became clear what my areas of development were but more importantly, it shone a light on what I was doing right, the advantages of my current style and how I could develop those skills further. A few days after the session, I had a job interview and having spent the time focusing in such a positive way on my soft skills, I was able to clearly communicate how I approach management and create a diverse and welcoming culture.
Jelena was never overpowering or judgemental, was very good at listening and kept me focused on what I was trying to achieve from the session.
- Roisin McKeniry, head of technology, Timeline Television @ BT Sport
Conclusion
The Decisional Balance tool addresses behavioural, cognitive and emotional aspects of resistance to change, acknowledging the client’s conflicting reactions towards change and enforcing autonomy in decision-making. It breaks down all ‘pull’ and ‘push’ forces for client to understand whether a change is actually what they want and if so – what could be holding them back.
A range of possible scenarios calling for such a tool is as wide as the possible changes – the critical advice for a coach is not to offer advice but instead a lot of empathy and deep listening to hear the subtle differences and possible ‘change talk’. In general, it could be used with most clients who are considering change, as people are better persuaded by reasons they discover themselves.
- This series showcases a range of coaching tools, drawing from the books Coaching Tools: 101 coaching tools and techniques for executive coaches, team coaches, mentors and supervisors – volumes 1, 2 and 3.
References
- W R Miller, and S Rollnick, Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (3rd edn.). New York: The Guilford Press, 2013
- J Passmore, Addressing Deficit Performance through Coaching: Using Motivational Interviewing for Performance Improvement in Coaching, in International Coaching Psychology Review, 2(3), 265-279, 2007
- J J Moon, Decisional Balance, in J Passmore, J C Day, J Flower, M Grieve, and J J Moon (eds.), Coaching Tools: 101 coaching tools and techniques for executive coaches, team coaches, mentors and supervisors: WeCoach! Volume 1,
Libri Publishing, 2021
About the author
- Jelena Jovanovic Moon is a psychologist and coach with degrees in coaching and organisational change and senior leadership roles in people management and organisational development. She is also co-editor of WeCoach! Coaching Tools, Volumes 1, 2 and 3 (Libri, 2021).