Motivation

Motivation

Past & Present

Commitment and challenge were past motivators. Community and compassion are the future motivators. What attracts people to join is not what causes them to remain. A persons feelings about the organization changes over time. Marriage may serve as an example. A young couple is drawn together by emotions such as love at first. But over time, they are held together by commitment. Early membership in a congregation involves more of a feeling experience. These feelings matures over years into thinking or commitment. Older members respond more to commitment and challenge appeals. Commitment is something that develops over time. Younger people respond more to community appeals about belonging to something and caring about some issue. Read the following five ways of motivation. Use the right method for the right group.

Five Ways of Motivation

Today, families are shattered by members in prison, drug abuse, violence and spiritual drifting. A sense of community and feeling of security is what people want. They are desperate to hear about belonging and caring. This will attract their involvement and lead them to commitment.

• Compassion: Sharing with others, caring about others, giving something, loving, serving. (younger age group)
• Community: Feeling that you have a place, belonging to something, family improvement, friends and sense of connection. (younger age group)
• Challenge: Attain a goal, accomplish something, achievement. (older age group)
  Reasonability: Data, logic, analysis, good sense. (older age group)
• Commitment: Loyalty, duty, obligation, to give and keep one promise. (older age group)

SOURCE: The New Reality In Motivation, Kennon L. Callahan