Providing Engineers with OARS and EARS
Technical expertise matters, but communication is what turns expertise into action, influence, and change.
A 2015 study by Klonek and Kauffeld shows that communication style matters. Open, person-centered dialogue is associated with better outcomes in technical conversations. It also shows that Motivational Interviewing (MI) is not just about knowledge transfer. It is about development and behavior change.
In summary, the research in the article shows that training in Motivational Interviewing helped engineers to:
ask more open-ended questions
use more reflective listening
use less directive-confrontational language
increase motivation in the people they were speaking with
OARS and EARS are not just counseling tools. They help engineers:
build trust instead of triggering defensiveness
ask better questions that surface real needs and risks
reduce resistance by creating safer, more open conversations
support psychological safety so people are more willing to speak up
Why this matters for leaders:
engineers often default to expert mode
expert mode can shut down collaboration
if people do not feel heard, they disengage
and then the “right” solution still fails
The takeaway is simple: communication is a technical capability too. It can be taught, measured, and improved. Done well, it builds trust, supports psychological safety, and improves how people work together. If we want stronger teamwork, better buy-in, and more reliable execution, this is not soft stuff. It is essential.
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