The trainer who enters the training room has got two tasks. One is to share his knowledge, the second is much more challenging – constantly motivate learners to learn.

What is the basis for MOTIVATION? The relationship that the trainer builds with participants, the feeling of safety and appreciation of the participants and building close relations in the group.

So, do not prolong and move on to practical tips, there are some suggested tools (techniques, exercises, methods) that motivate adults to learn in group context.

Building relations with participants

1. Call the participant by name from the beginning, when you address him. You can memorize names of your learners before the course starts, distribute name tags and most importantly address people by their first names, what bridges the gaps between you and the participant.

2. Share your personal history, related to the topic of the training. It may be story of a failure that turned into success. A story about the crisis that led to the search for a way out of a difficult situation. Sharing stories has two meaningful functions – it builds trust between the trainer and the group and builds the relationship that is needed in the learning process. The risk of using this method is that some people might be more willing to withdraw or resist thinking that they are expected to have a similar level of openness.

3. Pay attention to participants who are reluctant to engage in the learning process – those who do engage in conversations, do not speak on the forum. Do not put pressure on them, rather arrange sharing views in couples or smaller groups so they can express themselves.

4. Gathering information about participant’s expectations regarding the training and putting them in a place visible to everyone. This is important, but what is much more important is to RELATE to this content during the training. Referring to the expectations articulated during the first minutes of the training. Needs are respected and the participants are acknowledged.

5. Arranging a roleplay game at the beginning of the training ‘Who is who’? It will help you as a trainer to examine the motivation of the participants when they assign themselves to the group of CONVICTS or VOLUNTEERS? This game will reveal motivation (or lack of it) to participate in training and help reduce resistance by naming it. It relaxes the tension in the group and builds the initial relationship between the participants.

Security

6. Ask the opening question WHAT ARE YOU HERE FOR? instead of regressive WHY ARE YOU HERE? Even realizing ignorance in this area through the answer I DO NOT KNOW makes this question one of the best working questions during the opening part of the training.

7. Transfer question WHAT DO YOU EXPECT AFTER THE TRAINING?, which shifts the participant’s attention to results he wants to generate in private or professional life.

8. A question addressed to the participants about the goals of the training presented by the trainer at the beginning. Open questions: WHICH GOAL SOUNDS CLOSEST TO YOU? This tool plays two roles – makes participants familiar with the goals for the training (if one needs to choose one goal he must go through them) and the other – integrates the participants with similar priorities.

9. RECALLING THE TRAINING OBJECTIVES BY A TRAINING GAME. This may be a trainer’s request to repeat one or all training objectives. It can be a quiz to name all or one of the training’s objectives (of course without looking into the notes). Exercise can be done at the end of the training day or as a game to open the next meeting. This exercise makes the participants memorize the objectives of the training and at the same time reminds of the atmosphere of the first minute of training, activates motivation that brought participants to the training room.

10. A multiple-questions method that filters the motivation to the bottom. This exercise in pairs begins with the question WHAT WILL YOU GET AFTER FINISHING THIS TRAINING? The next question concerns the first answer. For example, if an answer is: completing the training will allow me to change my job, the next question will be: WHAT WILL YOU GET IF YOU CHANGE YOUR JOB? Changing my job will allow me to earn more. WHAT WILL YOU GET IF YOU EARN MORE? Etc. The exercise is completed when the person responding feels that this is the end of her search, ie, it is the deepest hidden motivation. Which is most often a feeling of satisfaction, happiness or the ability to live in harmony with other people.

11. Telling jokes related to the training. You may recall experience with other groups, it may be a joke related to training.

Appreciation

12. Appreciating participants for sharing on the forum – for the statement, for doing the exercise, for being active. Rewards can be made through applause, saying thank you, encouraging the group to appreciate through a shout or an earlier agreed gesture.

13. Referring during the training to what the participants said. What you need to remember  – do not exaggerate and do not rely only on very active participants. This may lead to the withdrawal of shy people, reluctant to express themselves in public. Referring to a funny gesture or word that has been said once and in some way activated the group is always a good practice.

14. The trainer encourages the participants to speak in a standing position. This encourages the participant to break the resistance and causes more engagement. In small training groups (6-12 people) this method might be ineffective. It works well in large groups, because the trainer can spot most withdrawn participants and at the same time has a chance to activate them. The person who decides to speak on the forum breaks the resistance and receives a chance to experience what it is to share reflection, give feedback and start informal learning.

Building connection in the group

15. Appreciate the participants who follow the rules created by the group, such as punctuality or wearing a name tag. The advantage of this method is building a sense of belonging to a group by passive behavior such as being on time or remembering to wear the name tag. The secondary effect of using this tool is to increase the sense of security in the group, which strengthens the positive attitude and willingness to stay in the training room, where there is no risk of ligation or reprisal.

16. RITUALS created jointly by the group. This can be a ritual of greeting, ending the training day, welcoming the trainer, a sign of consent or approval with the content presented at the time of the speech by another participant. From gesture to word-shout. The method of anchoring is taken from NLP, but builds a sense of belonging to the group, which is priceless in enhancing motivation to learn.

17. Training games in pairs or smaller groups that give the participants the opportunity to learn to know each other and build trust between them.

The source of the exercises and techniques is self-practice and the trainings provided by the ERASMUS + program (Emotional Intelligence, Event Wise).

This article was produced as a result of the “Competence Improvement Program”, implemented by the Innovation Development Foundation and co-financed by the European Union Erasmus + Action 1 Educational Mobility, Mobility of Adult Education Staff (Agreement number 2016-1-PL01-KA104-025815).

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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