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Motivating Trainees and Trainers

Richard E. Clark

Center for Cognitive Technologyhttp:\\cct.usc.edu

Institute for Creative TechnologyUniversity of Southern California

clark@usc.edu

Ft. Eustis WorkshopNovember 2005

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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Break

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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

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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

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Break

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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

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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

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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

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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”

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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

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Lunch Break

Return at 13:30

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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”

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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Break

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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

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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

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Motivating Trainees and Trainers

Richard E. Clark

Center for Cognitive Technologyhttp:\\cct.usc.edu

Institute for Creative TechnologyUniversity of Southern California

clark@usc.edu

Ft. Eustis WorkshopNovember 2005

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Team Motivation

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Team Motivation

2) WORKING TOGETHER SMOOTHLY:

• Prima Donna’s and silent “Back Stabbers” destroy team motivation

• Internal competition often destructive• Evaluate individuals’ collaborative

efforts

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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.

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Break

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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”

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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

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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

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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