MOTIVATIONAL TALKS : SOUND AND FURY SIGNIFYING NOTHING ?

Setting Stage

A dozen articles in well subscribed newspapers, few in a magazine, an adequately followed blog, the two-star veteran tag, couple of television appearances, about four decades in olive green and benevolent acquaintances get me occasional invites to deliver ‘motivational-talks’ and key note addresses. My seemingly extempore speeches are deliberately audience -specific and well researched. At home on stage, I connect with the audience early into my talk. The post-talk interactive session normally runs longer than my talk. Long Q&A session indicates better audience participation. I feel rewarded.

With Malice Towards None

Ability to fan passions and stir emotions, an art, is essential for effective public speaking. Recreating battle scenes and crisis situations helps audience experience the otherwise un-experienceable. Stories of real-life heroes, commoners overcoming insurmountable personal adversities with sheer grit, narrated well, rain goose bumps. Standing ovations, cash in that envelope, a few more invites and the heady feeling, rewards are instantaneous. Impact of such oratory, unfortunately, is often limited to the confines of the premises. It rarely permeates beyond tympanums. It seldom yields credible results.

With malice towards none, gripping histrionics apart, it is all “sound and fury signifying nothing”[1]. Motivational talks are just ‘feel-good’ occasions, poor investments in time and energy. I am loath to accepting such roles, as I feel much like the sower in the parable[2].

The Story Tellers

There are generally three types of professional motivational speakers. Most amongst them are story-tellers. They regale audience with real life stories or those which sound real. Some of them, could really be interesting. They bill the host depending on their well-crafted reputation and how well they are marketed. Resourceful networks assure them of venues.

Age notwithstanding, who doesn’t like a good story? Our own individual existence find meaning in scripting spectacular stories[3].

Story tellers certainly entertain, rarely motivate.

Domain Experts

The second largest group consists of those who leverage hierarchy. Though a few do spellbind audience with their domain expertise, most of them assume expertise. In it by virtue of their position, they are the least interesting amongst the tribe of ‘professional motivators’. They could be educative. They seldom motivate.

The Heroes

Least in number, yet the most authentic amongst motivational speakers are those who have themselves triumphed over insurmountable adversities that destroy lesser mortals. Unbeatable winners in real-life battles, they may neither rival histrionics of storytellers nor would be domain experts, but walk the red-carpet straight into the audiences’ heart during introduction. They conquer even before a single syllable is uttered. Irrespective of their oratory skills, they are effective speakers. They genuinely inspire, may not necessarily motivate.

The Trend

Sensing how heroes sway audiences, story tellers and experts have started becoming heroes, weaving in stories of personal tragedies and triumphs. It makes great theatre but neither motivates nor inspires a discerning audience.

Motivation and Motivators

Interestingly, root and product of motivation is motive!  Motivation kindles fires within to achieve something or reach somewhere. It is a psychological element that helps propel an individual from an existing state to a desired state. It helps raise orbits of thought and action and forges congruence between the two.

Motivation fuels motives and motives strengthen motivation. To start with, the two coexist in a fragile and delicate relationship. Preserved and persevered, the duo becomes a self-propelling tornado that, blows away gnawing self-doubts, overcomes challenges and adversities and launches individuals to unbelievable destinations.

Unfortunately, when it comes to motivation, food for one could easily be poison for another. The truth is, motivation is uniquely individualistic and has to be sustained by the individual. There can be no better motivator than the individual himself (herself), for the fire must be kindled and fuelled within. Everybody else are facilitators or masquerading as motivators.

Group Therapy[4]

Motivation is possible through tailor-made facilitative associations. While it is best achieved in ‘one-on-one’ sessions, such sessions duly altered can also be administered to groups involved in collaborative efforts. With each individual cocooned in their own aspirations and anxieties, broad brush treatments through motivational talks yield no worthwhile outcome. Simplistically put, treating individuals operating at different levels of Maslow’s hierarchy with broad spectrum motivational nutrient is effectively useless. This is why impact of even the most inspiring of motivational talks remain fleeting. Inspiring speeches can inflame passions and create mass hysteria. But that is not motivation. Motivation can rarely be achieved over public address systems. Yet, many organisations satisfy itelves with motivational talks.

Facilitation

Before charting destinations, it is incumbent for motivators, self or facilitators, to first assess where exactly the individual is and where the intended destination is. It is like planning a journey with well-defined milestones. A truthful assessment of capabilities and resources can help draw up realistic destinations and time plans. Facilitators with skills to hear the unspoken and see the hidden can help, individuals transform themselves, and groups, forge productively.

Motivation and Movements[5] 

Mass political movements and revolutions in history seem to be brought about by people who were ‘collectively motivated’. Natural to arise at this point, is the question, “Aren’t mass movements expressions of motivated groups?”.

The answer rests in the characteristics that differentiates ‘instigation’, ’influence’ and ‘motivation’ from one another. All mass movements have commenced with one or a few intensely motivated individuals driven by ideologies or reason. Intense motivation is a torch that enlightens its surroundings. By virtue of character they influence those around creating a following which eventually becomes a movement. Followers definitely are influenced but may not be motivated.

Resistance is a natural product of peoples’ subhuman existence. Realisation of such an existence is brought about by individuals motivated intensely enough to bear the consequences of spreading realisation and seeding resistance. Rank and file swell under their influence willing to tread any path under influence of the motivated. Indian Freedom Struggle is a classic example.

The motivated autonomously pursue chosen destinations, though they too would be influenced by ideals, ideas, events and people.   

Motivation in Organisational Context

Motivation in the context of organisations is limited to individuals and groups within the organisation. Activities to enhance ambient levels of motivation often get relegated to being exercises in utilising allocations where as it can be engineered to provide credible returns. Well-designed outcome-based activities, though more difficult to organise than motivational talks, promise returns on investments.

Note of Gratitude 

Gratitude is due to

Dr Abraham Kuruvilla, very respected and humane counsellor who spends considerable time in helping people with multifaceted issues.

Ms Anniey, for parting with pearls of wisdom from her deep understanding of human psychology.

Ms Dhanya Susan, the IIT ian for her analytical application.

Mr Manoj Koshy the ever experimenting entrepreneur at San Francisco for shaping my thoughts on life’s purpose.

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[1] "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow… It is a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing” (Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5, Shakespeare William)

[2] Parable of the sower. (A biblical story)

[3] Discussions with Mr Manoj Koshy, the compulsive entrepreneur on purpose of human existence.

[4] Long drawn discussions on hues of motivation with Ms Anniey

[5] The long animated discussions with Ms Dhanya Susan