One of the most common questions we get at our workshops and seminars is from Pastors, Counselors, Coaches and Consultants. It is the same question:
How do I motivate people to change? This is a tricky question, but a good question. Hidden beneath this question is another statement: (How do I get them to do what I want them to do? Pastors, Coaches, Counselors and Consultants do not just want people to chamnge but to change like I want them to change.)
Maybe I need to tell you some things that will not work to motivate people to change in the direction we want. In fact, the things I am listing below will more than likely motivate people to do the opposite of what we want them to do.
(The guy below is the poster child for how not to motivate change. He has tried to witness to Muslims by burning a Koran!)
1. Do not preach at people as though they were stupid, children or ignorant. Jesus said, "Do not be like the Gentile Pagans and lord it over your people." In other words do not stand above them and cut them down to size.
2. Do not threaten people. Threats can leave people with anxiety and anxiety causes them to resist positive changes. In my experience, it causes people to do negative things, usually different from what we want.
3. Do not insult them. Name calling and shaming or addinjg guilt to them will likely boomerang.
4. Do not be impatient. getting ahead of the Lord's conviction will usually not work.
5. Do not call them to action before they are ready to change. Do not get ahead of their readinesss to change.
Add you own insights to this list. Who would you nominate as a falure to motivate good works?
See our bookstore at the sweetenlife.com web page has our book, Hope and Change for Humpty Dumpty, which is a manual for those who want to influence others to change.
Gary Sweeten
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