Rating scales: A straightforward tool to help you make progress on any issue

When I get stuck for ideas on how to help a client make progress on their issues, I have a go-to way of overcoming the roadblock. This involves asking the client to rate their current progress on the issues using a numerical scale. In the following sections, I will discuss how this strategy helps to facilitate further progress by the client on their issues.

Step 1: Rate your current progress on the issue

The first step in using rating scales to make progress on an issue is to rate your current progress on the issue. This can be done by giving yourself a rating from 0 to 10. You can make this rating based on your gut feeling regarding how you think you are doing, by thinking generally about your recent level of progress or by factoring in different elements of the issue on which progress may be measured.

For example, if your goal in therapy were to be a better parent, you might begin by rating yourself at 5 on a 0-10 scale based on your view that you are doing some things well as a parent but that you need to improve in other areas.

Step 2: Identify what you are doing which contributes to your current scale rating

The second step in using rating scales to make progress on an issue is to identify what you are doing which contributes to your current scale rating. For example, if you rated your current progress on your goal to become a better parent as 5 on a 0-10 scale, you would identify what specifically you are doing well as a parent which led you to give yourself a rating of 5.

Identifying what you are doing which contributes to your current scale rating helps you make progress in two ways. First, it helps you to recognize the progress you have already made on the issue. That is, despite your wanting to do better you give yourself credit for already making progress in certain areas. This helps to improve your mood compared with a focus on what you are not doing well. In turn, your motivation to take steps to make further progress will be enhanced by recognizing that you are already doing some things well in relation to the issue. As it pertains to the example, this might lead the person to adopt a mindset like, “Although it is true that I still have areas in which I need to improve my parenting, it is also true that I am already doing some things well”.

Secondly, identifying specific things you are doing well already in relation to the issue allows you to make it a point to continue doing those things which are already helping you to make progress. Keeping up with those things should, combined with adding new strategies, lead to further progress on the issue. In relation to the example, this would lead you to make a point to continue to do those things you are already doing well as a parent while you target additional areas for improvement.

Step 3: Identify what you can do to improve your scale rating

The third step in using rating scales to make progress on an issue is to identify what you can do improve your scale rating. For example, if you rated your current progress on your goal to become a better parent as 5 on a 0-10 scale, you would identify specific things which you are not already doing which would allow you to make better progress and thereby increase your rating on the 0-1-0 scale.

Step 4: Implement the strategies identified in Step 3

Once you have identified the areas in which you can improve, the next step is to implement the strategies which target these areas. In doing so, it may be helpful to make an action plan in which you schedule the performance of actions at particular days and times. You can then test the effects of these actions on your progress once you have performed them. In the example, this would entail scheduling actions which you can implement to be a better parent.

Step 5: Focus on gradual improvement as you move up the scale

In implementing actions to make progress, it is often helpful to focus on making gradual improvements in which you move up the scale from your current rating in increments. In the example, this would involve working on one area of improvement in parenting for the time being until you have observed some improvement on the scale—say from a 5 to a 6 out of 10.

Once you have been performing actions in that area of improvement which are now a part of your routine, you can target additional areas for improvement. This will allow you to make further progress which will be reflected in additional gradual increases in your scale ratings.

Over time, this can add up to significant movement up the scale in terms of improved ratings until you reach a number approaching the top end of the rating scale. At that point, continuing to perform the actions which have facilitated your increases in scale ratings should allow you to maintain your progress on the issue.

May you rate your progress on issues to facilitate further progress,

Dr. Pat