Six (6) Things You Should Look for When Selecting Motivational Speakers.

Here are six things that you will see or hear from typical Motivational Speakers followed by a best practice that you should look for when choosing a speaker that will make a lasting change within your organization:

1. "Motivation" should be... Inspiration
   Motivation begins on the outside of a person and works its way in. Motivation is "something that prompts a person to act in a certain way or that determines volition; incentive." As an external force, motivation is a temporary fix that diminishes quickly when the force subsides. Typical motivational speakers want their audiences to work hard to avoid something or to get something.

   Inspiration begins on the inside of a person and works its way out. Inspiration is "to infuse an animating, quickening, or exalting influence." As an internal force, inspiration is a commitment to live a life that makes you feel enthusiasm, passion and purpose. Inspiration is not temporary. An inspirational speaker will fuel the spark that exists within every member of your audience.

    

2. "Stories" should be... A Process
   Although stories are entertaining and often explain the commitment it took to accomplish a task, they might not inspire everyone. The chain of events that led the motivational speaker to achieve their goal is not necessarily a repeatable process for others. Defining a proven "process for change" will provide individuals with the ability to set attainable goals and reach their own aspirations. Your audience will walk away with a tool that they can use for the rest of their lives.

    

3. "Fear" should be... New Perceptions
   Fear has a strong effect on people. Fear can make you perform in ways you never dreamed. But, do we want to live our lives in constant fear?

   Learning what you can control and cannot control will make a big difference in your life. Perception - how you see events, others and yourself - generates all your thoughts, feelings and actions. We have a tendency to confuse how we see things, our perceptions, with how things really are. Your perceptions are really the only thing you can control. Shifts in our perception have the most powerful and longest lasting effects. Speakers that offer us a new perception will allow us to uncover a whole new outlook. It is this new change in perception that will ultimately power our performance.

    

4. "Discipline" should be... Self-discipline
   Discipline only works if there is someone to mold. In business, it is less about molding someone and more about leading an organization to a common goal. How each individual helps the organization to achieve that goal is the "magic".

   Self-discipline is a higher level of existence. It starts with your team understanding the value of what they are doing. Because they understand the value of what they are doing and its connection to future performances, they do not need to be "molded" they will inherently strive for the common goal. Wouldn't it be nice to arrive at work and have your staff already doing their tasks without being told what to do?

    

5. "Command-control" should be... Cooperation
   Motivational speakers think you hire them because they "know" and you do not. They treat your audience with the same basic premise. But do they really know everything? Do they know how to do your job? Do they understand your aspirations? Do they know how you feel? Command-control may be appropriate for the military, but in life, business and even sports coaching a command-control style is more likely to upset the "receiver".

   That is why a cooperative approach works better. The cooperative approach is based on the premise that the coach knows and does not know. And the receiver knows and does not know. Egos are set aside as this approach allows people to work together. A coach with a cooperative approach creates the feeling of "we" when accomplishing goals. The coach and the student will desire each other's input and involvement to reach new levels of performance. A speaker that can capture the essence of cooperation will make more of impact on your audience.

    

6. "Dependence" should be... Independence and even better, Interdependence
   Typical coaches want their teams to constantly require their knowledge and guidance; while other teams may rely on their coach for too much constant direction. Because of these desires, dependence is created. So, what happens when their coach is not there?

   One of the goals of your speaker should be to create an environment of independence - the ability to reach your goals with little less supervision. Independent people are less needy and often your best performers. Developing independent people is much more rewarding, but as a coach you have to understand that independence is a sign of growth and development, not a form of betrayal or disloyalty. Only when independence is reached for each person on your staff, can you begin to strive for interdependence as a team.

    

So, what type of speaker would be best for your company? Are you ready to implement a fresh approach to improving your company's performance? Then it is time to look deeper into the The O'Meara Process -- a proven methodology for change that integrates these six best practices. It is time for your management team to reach out to your employees and ask them... "What do you want to do better?