Motivation and Change

Kathy over at Creating Passionate Users has a new post called "Motivating others: why "it's good for you" doesn't work."

Her premise?

• What do we hope they'll do when they stop clicking/listening/reading? More importantly, how do we make it happen?

Question 1: What do we want our users (customers, employees, etc.) to do?
Question 2: How do we motivate them to do it? (Answer: design an experience to help them motivate themselves)

Trying to motivate someone to action by telling them it's good for them doesn't... actually... work. So - what does motivate?

• Joy is a more powerful motivator than fear. Focus on the positive.

BOTTOMLINE: "Even if you're not trying to get someone to take action for social change or to save their life--something Meaningful with a capital "M"--remember that meaningful with a lowercase "m" matters too. If your software, book, or service helps me learn more, spend more time in flow, .....or even just have fun playing a game...you're bringing a bit more joy into my day. And THAT is meaningful to me."