The Action Arrow: Getting Things Done

Action is not just another step in the helping process. It needs to pervade the entire helping process. Change involves doing. You can provide encouragement and support but you can’t do what the person being helped needs to do in order to change.

The action theme might well be the most important theme in the helping process. As we all know from our own lives, there’s a huge gap between knowing what to do and doing it. Therefore, a vital part of your role as helper is to find ways of helping the other person take action (thinking and behaving differently) at every stage and step of the process. People with problems and unused opportunities don’t need to wait for the paint to dry on a master plan before taking constructive steps. In fact, every conversation should lead to some kind of positive action, not some momentous action, but a series of smaller, immediate actions that help the person move forward. “Maybe I should just swallow my pride and talk to him. That won’t kill me.” Some think of this kind of action as “homework.” If nothing happens between one conversation and the next, then something was lacking in the first conversation. The Helping Conversation is for doers.