Internal Motivation

Have you ever had the experience of working with a student and finding it difficult to make a connection.  I know that I have and it can be very frustrating.  Despite all of our best intentions and bringing all our sensitivity to bear there seems to be resistance to anything that we suggest.  It may just be that they are motivated by an Internal language pattern.  This is a pattern of language that is part of Language and Behaviour [LAB] profiling.  It tells us how people motivate themselves to take action – or do what we want them to.☺ 

This model suggests that each of us has either an Internal motivational pattern or an External one.  Those amongst us who have an Internal pattern are motivated to make decisions within ourselves – “I just know” or “It feels right to me”; whereas those with an External pattern make decisions based on outside evidence such as what OFSTED said or how their boss reacts. Generally those with an internal pattern are more difficult to influence because they make decisions inside themselves and are less easily influenced by what we say.  The trick is to use language that they connect with.

Examples of Internal influencing language: 

• I have something for you to consider,  see what you think
• only you can decide,
• its up to you to choose, you will be the best judge of what works for you
• I suggest you consider …
• I’ll explain how to do this, you can then try it out and see what you think,
• here’s some information so you can decide,
• what do you think?

If you are working with someone who seems to know all the answers and does not seem to listen or take any notice of what you are suggesting then try the above language and see what happens.  In development terms teenagers and two year olds typically have this pattern.  People who appear to know all the answers also probably have an Internal pattern.  It is no good telling them what to do because they already know!! So suggest to them how they might consider what you are saying by using the influential language above.  This can work like magic.

Next month I will write about the language of influence for those with an External pattern.