A6 Training the motivators

• Most motivators learn their skills by experience. The rest of this guide suggests topics that the motivators should first try out on each other with group leaders, before they are tried with the wider community. The motivators should continually encourage each other to gain experiences in speaking and leading discussion. After each session, make time to reflect together on how it went. What went well? What went badly? What can be learned for the future?
• Most motivators will only have experience of formal teaching methods, where somebody stands up and passes on facts to students. This approach is often not helpful for community development, as it does not allow people to share their experiences and ideas. Leading informal discussion, where everyone has the opportunity to speak and the views of each person should be respected, requires new skills. A good motivator learns to value the knowledge and wisdom of each community member, particularly those who are poor or who lack confidence.

• Ask people in the group to think about particular skills or knowledge they have learned in their life – how did the learning happen?
• As motivators, what is our attitude towards people in our local area? Are we teachers, trainers, listeners or learners?
• What are the signs that one or two people are dominating a meeting? How can they be encouraged to listen to the views of others more?
• What signs are there that some people are not taking part in the discussion? How can they be encouraged to take part more?
• Imagine that during a practical exercise, a community member who has a good education, takes the pen and writes down what they think is important, rather than what the group is discussing. What can motivators do about this?
• How can the motivators help to support each other?
• What other training opportunities or experiences are available that might benefit motivators?

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This page was last updated on 10 August 2005