Motivating others: soft skills needed to learn and support implementation initiatives

By Dr. Julia Moore , Executive Director, The Center for Implementation

The role of implementation coaches to support implementation efforts

Implementation coaches have increasingly become a common support for implementation initiatives over the past decade. These implementation coaches (also referred to as implementation facilitators and technical assistance providers) guide the implementation team through the processes and challenges of delivering an initiative.

This role appears in multiple frameworks (e.g., evidence-based system from implementation support; iPARIHS) and fits beautifully in the “Support System” of the Interactive Systems Framework.

What skills (hard and soft) do implementation coaches need?

I’ve worked with several organizations where implementation coaches were not new hires but existing staff members (often very experienced, senior staff members) with initiative/content expertise but who were relatively new to implementation science. As someone responsible for training, supporting, and coaching them to be implementation coaches, I began to deeply question and research which soft skills were needed.

Implementation coaches need to have an understanding of implementation theories, models, and frameworks, as well as initiative-specific expertise – the “hard skills” of implementation. I’ve spent many years working on what hard skills implementation coaches need. But anyone who has participated in an implementation initiative knows that implementation coaches also need to have “soft skills” – for example, being able to build trusting relationships, navigate challenging stakeholder interactions, and being able to facilitate honest and sometimes vulnerable conversations.

Based on a combination of research-based and practice-based evidence (e.g., reviewing all of the implementation core competencies; readiness, behavioural sciences and leadership literature; and personal interactions with coaches), one of the soft skills that seem relevant for all implementation projects and is challenging for almost everyone is how to motivate others.

Implementation coaches need to motivate the implementation team (those delivering the intervention). Implementation coaches need to motivate key stakeholders and leaders. Implementation coaches need to motivate research partners.

Unfortunately, although we use evidence to guide the intervention we are delivering, we don’t always use evidence to guide our other actions – this is such a lost opportunity since there is extensive literature on how to motivate others to change.

What motivates people to change?

Let’s go through one small aspect of motivation that can transform how you approach conversations. Self-determination theory proposes that people are motivated when they:

1. Feel a sense of autonomy – they need to feel as if they have some control over their work or their actions
2. Feel a sense of connectedness – they feel a connection to other people
3. Feel a sense of competence – they either feel that they are good at something or have the potential to be good at something

Unfortunately, many implementation efforts fail to address these aspects of motivation. We often approach a change initiative stating that people “must” do something new (not instilling any sense of autonomy) and directly or indirectly tell them about how they have been doing things “wrong” (eroding their sense of competence, at best, or even creating hostility towards the change).

When implementation coaches are able to motivate others, they can better lay the groundwork to enable successful implementation initiatives.

Related news: We're holding a free virtual event on November 29, 2022, from 12:00 PM ET - 1:00 PM ET to talk about Non-Academic Careers with Impact: Implementation Positions You Never Knew Existed. This event is ideal for graduate students or recent graduates interested in exploring a non-academic career. It's also very relevant to professionals looking to transition to a new implementation-focused role!

We'll be sharing examples of the wide range of roles in implementation support that are out there and what you can do to set yourself up for success. We hope you'll join us. Register here.

Note: An earlier version of this article originally appeared in the October 2019 issue of our?Implementation in Action?bulletin.?Subscribe here to receive our next issue.