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Assessing readiness for change is key to better outcomes in healthcare.

The help we offer should match a person’s readiness to change.

Common signs can indicate that our helpful efforts are getting in the way of change.

Can helping another person do more harm than good? That depends on how we define “help.” When we undermine another person’s autonomy, confidence, independence, freedom, growth, or power, we are not helping—we may be doing more harm than good. Real help implies doing what is best for another’s growth and development, not what is best for the person who wants to be helpful.

When we see someone facing a challenge or asking for help, the desire to help can be a natural impulse. But when someone asks for help, do they want to change? If you notice your child isn't following through on school responsibilities, what does it mean to help your child? Should we step in and help a co-worker behind on their work?

As you reflect on your own experiences helping others or being offered help, you already know helping isn't straightforward. Not everyone who asks for help is ready for change, and not everyone who appears to need help wants it. In healthcare, assessing readiness for change is key to improving outcomes. When our efforts to help don't match a person’s perception of their need for help or readiness for change, our help is not well received. This principle is similar in the home; we know that parental overinvolvement undermines students' academic success.

There is a difference between helping and falling into the helper role. When we fall into the........

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