Visual Tool or Conversation?

You can use the Agenda Mapping in a conversation with your client as demonstrated in the example with Katrina. Or you can use an Agenda Mapping bubble sheet which will provide a visual map for both you and your client. You might consider this tool if you or your client is feeling overwhelmed by the long list of issues or finding it difficult to think of all the issues up for discussion

There are several examples of the Agenda Mapping bubble sheet you can find available online or in a copy of Miller and Rollnick’s Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (2013). You can also develop your own.

Here is an example of an Agenda Mapping bubble sheet:

Tips for Using the Agenda Mapping Bubble Sheet

There are a few different approaches to the bubble sheet you can use when working with your client:

  • Offer your client a pre-filled bubble sheet with issues that relate to your agencies’ area of focus.
  • Hand your client an empty bubble sheet and ask them to fill in as many bubbles as they would like. You may then take the opportunity to add more with their permission.
  • Start to populate the bubbles as the client is talking and then ask the client to fill in anything you may have missed or would like to include.
Note: Make sure you are aware of your client’s literacy level. If they are unable to read or write you may choose to use objects representing different health areas, ask your clients to draw topics of discussion, or simply engage in a conversation.

For more information on Agenda Mapping, visit the Resources page in this module for links to additional articles and resources.