1
Motivating Trainees and Trainers
Richard E. Clark
Center for Cognitive Technologyhttp:\\cct.usc.edu
Institute for Creative TechnologyUniversity of Southern California
Ft. Eustis WorkshopNovember 2005
2
Topics
• Why is motivation important?• What are your motivation problems?
– Describe individual and team problems
• Three types of motivation problems– What types did you describe?
• Three types of motivation solutions– How would you solve the problems
• Team Motivation problems and solutions
3
Activities
• You describe motivation problems• I’ll describe three types of problems• You fit your problems to three types• I’ll describe how to solve problems• You’ll apply solutions to your problems
and discuss whether they’ll work• I’ll describe Team Motivation problems
and solutions and you’ll apply & discuss
4
Why is motivation important?
• 50% give only minimum effort • 84% say they could work much harder• 40% of performance due to motivation
– 40% due to training
• Motivation starts with the motivator– If you are not motivated and don’t believe
in yourself, you cannot motivate others
5
Describe Motivation Problems
Think of two motivation problems –One individual and one team problemAnswer three questions:1. Who - is not doing something?2. What - is not being done?3. Do they know how to do it?4. Do they have necessary equipment?
6
Break
7
Three Motivation Problems
1. Not starting something new Intending but not acting
2. Not persistingAvoiding, arguing, doing something less important, waiting for deadline
3. Not working smart enoughUsing familiar strategies when new ideas are required and not taking responsibility for lack of achievement
8
Group Activity: Classify Motivation Problems
A. Classify all problems as one or more of the three below – “If it is not broken, don’t fix it”
B. Then select three of the problems you have classified - one for each of the 3 types – and describe them to everyone:
1. Not Starting2. Not Persisting3. Not Working Smart
9
Break
10
What Causes Motivation Problems?
All based on personal “belief” not “reality”
1. No VALUE for the task 2. Under or Over CONFIDENCE3. Strong negative EMOTION
Lets take closer look at each one
11
1) Values
VALUES –Why bother?
• Doesn’t like task - likes others better • Sees no risk in avoiding task
– So does not start
• No personal benefit in completing task
– So does not persist
12
2) Confidence
Under Confidence:• Can be “down”, depressed, self-
handicapping (“I can’t do it”)– So does not start
• Takes too much responsibility – – So does not persist
• Try’s to find “honorable” out – gets sick
• Looks for easier task
13
2) Confidence
Over Confidence:• Task is “beneath me”
– So does not start• Blames others for mistakes & is angry
– So does not start or persist• Using old and inadequate knowledge
when new strategies required– Refuses to “work smarter”
14
3) Emotions
STRONG NEGATIVE EMOTIONS • I’m angry at …
– Anger - belief that cause is external– Belief is that cause is uncontrollable
• I’m feeling down/depressed – Cause is internal– Belief that something in me is “broken”
and can not be changed/improved
15
Lunch Break
Return at 13:30
16
10 Motivation Killers1. Lie to people2. Make bigoted comments and decisions3. Act negative, pessimistic, detached4. Ignore peoples’ beliefs, focus on facts5. Set vague goals 6. Impose useless rules just to prove you can7. Assume that everyone is like you8. When frustrated, get angry and critical9. Catch people screwing up and point it out10.Be a hypocrite and do not “walk the talk”
17
Solving Motivation Problems6 General strategies:
• LISA: LIsten – Summarize – Ask• Understand before judging people• Set concrete, challenging, current goals• Act positive, optimistic & fair • Focus feedback on strategy not mistake• Attribute problems to controllable cause
18
Solutions to Value Problems
• Suggest: “Hold your nose” – Describe benefit of finishing task
• “You are good at this kind of task”– Remind them of past successes
• “Here is what you RISK by avoiding it”– Be honest – they must want to avoid the risk
• Insure fairness and trust• If all else fails, consider offering a
tangible and valued incentive
19
Confidence Solutions:Under-confidence
• Are goals concrete and current? • Break task into smaller chunks• Offer coaching help on “how to”• Attribute mistakes to “effort” not
ability• Monitor progress closely • Give feedback about strategy not the
person’s mistakes
20
Confidence Solutions:Overconfidence
• They think they know how and they don’t• Test their strategy against better alternative • They must believe their strategy not working• Attribute mistakes to their strategy and
misunderstanding of goal– Goal is novel for them and they think it is familiar
• Get agreement on new strategy• Monitor progress
21
Emotion Solutions1 LISA: LIsten – Summarize – Ask2 Understand people before judging them3 Set concrete, challenging, current goals4 Act positive, optimistic & fair 5 Focus feedback on strategy not mistake6 Attribute problems to controllable cause
• Anger (external problem is controllable)• Depression (strategy can be improved)
22
Break
23
Group Activity: Solve Your Motivation Problems
Solve the three problems you have chosen – and describe your solutions:
1. Briefly describe problem and classify• Starting? Persisting? Working smart?
2. Describe solution and why you chose it– Values? Confidence? Emotions?
3. Describe special problems you encountered and any reservations you have about solutions
24
Will The Solutions Work?• You must believe that they will work
and project that belief• Solutions must be tailored to fit
individual beliefs, values & expectations
• Test and revise – use clear indicators of success and failure for what you do
Tomorrow, Team Motivation
25
Motivating Trainees and Trainers
Richard E. Clark
Center for Cognitive Technologyhttp:\\cct.usc.edu
Institute for Creative TechnologyUniversity of Southern California
Ft. Eustis WorkshopNovember 2005
26
Team Motivation
27
Activities
• Review your team motivation problems• I’ll present three types of team problems• You classify your team problems• I’ll present solutions to three types• You try to apply solutions to your problems
and we’ll discuss issues• We’ll summarize the workshop and finish
28
Team Motivation
Three critical issues:1. Team members must have different
skills and/or roles 2. Team members must respect each
others skills and commitment3. Team must cooperate, collaborate,
work smoothly together
29
Team Motivation
1) DIFFERENT SKILLS/ROLES:
• If all do the same job it is not a team – it is a collection of individuals
• The more different the jobs and skills, the more team motivation is critical
30
Team Motivation
2) MUTUAL RESPECT :
• Biggest factor in high pressure success!• Do not have to like each other but they
must respect each other’s skills• Disrespect is like acid - causes social
loafing & eats away at team performance• Evaluate individual contributions to team
31
Team Motivation
2) WORKING TOGETHER SMOOTHLY:
• Prima Donna’s and silent “Back Stabbers” destroy team motivation
• Internal competition often destructive• Evaluate individuals’ collaborative
efforts
32
Group Activity: Classify Team Motivation
ProblemClassify the team problems you have chosen:
1) Briefly describe the team’s goals and the evidence that they are not achieving at expected levels
2) Do team members have different roles?3) Do they trust each other’s skill levels?
– If the answer is no, explain.
4) Are they working together smoothly?– If the answer is no, explain.
33
Break
34
Solving Disrespect Problems
• Catch them being respectful, point it out• Tell stories about teams that win in the
crunch because of mutual confidence• Do everything possible to promote
mutual respect and discourage disrespect
• Weak members threaten team success– Weak members must believe that their
effort is vital to the team – need training– “Get serious, get busy, work harder –
believe in yourself”
35
Solving Collaboration Problems
• Catch them collaborating - point it out– Suggest more effective strategies
• Tell stories about teams with strong members who won by working together– And dysfunctional team stories
• Focus team training on interactions• Discourage competition within the
team– Promote competition between teams for members
who do the same job
• Make a “No Prima Donnas or Back Stabbers” rule and enforce it
36
Group Activity: Classify Team Motivation
ProblemSolve one of the team problems you have
chosen:
1) Briefly describe the team’s goals and the evidence that they are not achieving at expected levels and that they either do not respect each other or are not collaborating
2) Describe how you would solve the problem and how you would know that it was solved
37
Summary
• Motivation starts with you – if you are not motivated you cannot motivate others
• If it is not broken, don’t fix it• Promote starting, persisting, working smarter,
mutual respect and collaboration• Look at the world through the eyes of people
who you are training or managing– Understand before judging – Listen carefully
• Your job - to help them believe they will succeed
• Adjust their values, confidence and emotions