Motivating others is like pushing water uphill

I'm quite often asked for help and assistance with how to motivate others.

The question is - can you?

* Teachers have to find ways to motivate their students
* Employers have to motivate their staff
* Parents have to motivate their kids
* Trainers have to motivate their trainees

In reality the only people you can motivate are those who WANT to be motivated, and that includes ourselves.

I've seen people who came to training courses who didn't want to be there, and were totally disruptive to the other trainees - and the reasons are usually because:
a) they were told they needed to go
b) they thought they were above what was being covered

It didn't matter what the topic was - they came with a closed mind and that's exactly how it stayed. Closed, unwilling to participate and couldn't wait to leave.

I've seen kids do the most amazing things - because they were inspired to do so, and (and this is a vital key) because they knew there was something in it for them.

WIIFM - What's in it for me?

* Those people who perceive there is no benefit will not gain any
* Those people who think they above what is being taught will be disruptive
* Those people who can't make the topics so interesting the kids want to come back and learn some more - won't bother to find out what kids like to do, learn, play. More often than not the teachers can't see What's in it for them - they're being paid to do a job, so they turn up - and that's about it.

There are some teachers at my kids school who should not have been teachers. They appear to dislike the kids and can't see the point in helping them to learn - they're paid regardless of how well the kids do - so why go the extra mile? They feel they've gotten everything there is to gain from teaching - and next year's intake of kids are going to be the same as last year's. They feel constrained by the curriculum and unispired to make the lessons interesting. Is it any wonder the kids won't do their homework, or if they do - it's half finished and gets an average mark as a result. Completely discouraged by the quality of teaching (and the kids didn't want to change schools at that point) I started "teaching" them myself - and we started with "English" and the principles of writing. We looked at labels, brands, television commercials, soap operas, magazines and newspapers, we had field trips to museums and we had assignments and homework. The difference was astounding. Applying these principles to school work, suddenly the grades improved - but like all kids they had to be "told" what was in it for them. In reality I should have started sooner given the final grades they achieved. But now they know what's at stake.

If you can't work out what's in it for you, and the people you are trying to motivate can't see what's in it for them - the motivation will never be there