Asking permission of your participant or co-worker may seem odd or even uncomfortable, but it’s an important part of building a trusting relationship. By asking for permission to share advice, or change a subject, or review a handout, you’re respecting that person as an individual and helping them feel in control. And when someone feels they’re in control, they’re much more likely to consider or actually make a behavior change. Let’s listen to different ways of asking permission.
• As part of your visit today, we’ll need to review the paperwork you’ve brought in, get some measurements in the lab, and visit a little bit about his health and eating habits. How does that sound?
• Would you mind if I shared some things I noticed about the visit?