Motivation and/or confidence continued.

I received some spectacular news today. One of my students was the top student, earning the highest grade point average of his entire 3rd year in the faculty of business. We were both so excited. We were doing the 'happy dance' for sure. What is so cool about this is that we chatted about his motivation and confidence scores that I had collected when he first came in for academic coaching. His scores were in the 'right direction', at that time, meaning his motivation score was higher than his confidence score. Today, both are at a 10, right where they should be. Interestingly, he is hoping to improve a bit next semester. His grades have opened many doors for him and he is being offered all sorts of opportunities. He reminded me again, what is possible when we have a strong desire to achieve a specific goal, recognize that we need guidance from someone who 'has been there and done it right', the humility to accept correction, and the determination to stick to the new plan.

For those of you following along on the Motivation or confidence blog, here is today's installment.

I always get students to set a goal and then take a measurement of motivation and confidence before and immediately after training and then 6 months later. Within my 12-hour training program, I can see increases as much as 30-40% in confidence. As students persist with my instructions, they immediately see results and their confidence scores reflect that.

If you are a leading authority or expert in your area and are in the business of helping people to change anything, be objective about it and get some measurements around the outcomes. A single goal, with a motivation and confidence score relative to that goal, will tell you so much that you will miss without this information. Because I allow some time to pass between the first, second and third measurements, students forget their initial scores and it is always a wonderful surprise for them when they see their scores going up.

I just want to again send out a congratulations to Brett. It is an honor to know you.

Motivation and/or Confidence Continued

The direction of these scores if vital for the success of the student. If the motivation score is lower than the confidence score, this indicates an unwillingness to generate new behavior in the actualization of the outcome. In terms of applying new strategies to assist themselves, it is not very probable. Conversely, if the motivation score is higher than the confidence score, then the student is much more likely to implement the new behaviors and to be successful.

This is because confidence can be ‘borrowed’ from someone else through trust, but motivation must be generated internally. Motivation creates the pressure to act, to change, and to take action. Because we cannot force another to act, to change or to take action (morally and lawfully), this must come from within the individual.

Confidence is different because someone can rely on the expertise of another to make up the deficit in their own confidence. If a student records a 9.0 on motivation, and a 6.0 on confidence in their own abilities to achieve a 75% GPA, then they can rely on or trust my past experience, and follow my instructions, until they have their own evidence. And this is a critical difference between confidence and motivation, confidence can be loaned or borrowed through the currency of trust, whereas motivation cannot.

Is this giving you a different perspective on the relationships among motivation, confidence and trust? Do you have people in your life (maybe even you) who have lost their confidence in something? Can they borrow some of your expertise? Do they trust you?

Thanks to the new people who have signed up for my blog.