Behavior #7 – Help the speaker become motivated

From The Art of Effective Evaluation, an examination of the 10 behaviors of an Effective Evaluator.

The Coordinator Guide has these 2 things to say about this behavior:

1. Remind the speaker that her goals are both worthwhile and attainable
2. Encouraging the speaker to work hard toward improving his speaking skills

Hmm….  Not much help in actually how to motivate the speaker.  So, what can you do?  How about trying some of these:

• Relate your own experiences as a speaker and how you overcame difficulties
• Emphasize areas where the speaker has worked hard
• Challenge the speaker to greater (and attainable) heights
• Empathize with the effort expended by the speaker
• Help the speaker focus their efforts to attain their goals
• State the goals of the speaker for everyone and even share that goal with the speaker
• Recognize the benefits of attaining these new skills for this speaker and voice them

If you have other ways to motivate the speaker, comment below.