WIIFM

July 18, 2016

“What’s in it for me?” —- WIIFM!

“When confronted with change, most people tune in to their favorite internal radio station: WIIFM—What’s In It For Me? That’s not to suggest that most people are selfish. It’s simply a fact that personal context is usually the first filter we use to evaluate our environment. It’s especially true when we’re asked to participate in some sort of change.

 Change is movement away from the present. And change is movement toward a future that promises not just something different but, hopefully, something better.  .  .  .

 Change is situational: the new team roles, the new manager, the new procedure, the new way of operating. Transition is the psychological rite of passage during which people come to terms with the new situation (the change).

 Your challenge is to validate the journey.”   (“In Times Of Change, ‘What’s In It For Me?’ Is The Question You Need To Answer,” Fast Company)

And so we come to the finish of a subject we started this past Wednesday, “Motivation!”

In four decades of working in the industrial skills training arena, the companies I’ve encountered that accomplished significant upgrades with on-the-job performance were those that clearly tied training with pay increases, bonuses, job security or promotions upon successful completion.

The organizations I’ve known that failed to tie their training to a “What’s in it for me?” awareness were often less fortunate.

“The obvious (what’s in it for me) bit for disengaged workers could be a myriad of things. They could range from a stable job in a not so great employment market to a preferred salary/bonus. Perhaps it’s nice working conditions or even career advancement. On the surface that seems like normal and expected desires.  .  .  .  None of these things scream the intent to stay is based on commitment or a desire (or willingness) to apply discretionary effort to anything they do.”

(“What’s In It For Me?,”  The Leadership Advisor)

All our good intentions, statistical proofs of “what type of training works best,” and leaner analyses mean little if we have not, first, addressed the issue of “motivation” — and, that means WIIFM!

You’d better start with WIIFM if you want your training to succeed.

More on Wednesday –  –  –

     — Bill Walton, co-Founder, ITC Learning

      www.itclearning.com/blog/  (Mondays & Wednesdays)

 “THE WORLD RELIES ON THE HANDS OF ITS MEN AND WOMEN”
 (This is a personal blog.  Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner, jhbillwalton@gmail.com, an independent consultant.  They do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in a professional or personal capacity.)