Empowering destitute people towards transforming communities

4.2Understanding ways to motivate people

As McNamara (2007:1) makes clear, there are approaches to motivating people that are destructive, e.g. fear, intimidation, etc. While these approaches can seem very effective in promptly motivating people, the approaches are hurtful, and in addition, they usually only motivate one for the short-term. There are also approaches that are constructive, e.g. effective delegation, coaching, etc., which can be very effective in motivating others and over long periods of time.

4.2.1From external motivation to intrinsic motivation: Helping people to become self motivated

Discussing motivation, Richardson and Earle (2006:13-27) distinguish three types, the first being termed external motivation and the second “intrinsic” (internal) motivation, which were noted earlier. Between these two lies a third type of motivation, “identification”. These approaches differ radically, and carry direct implications for the way in which helpers will do missions with the destitute.
External motivation uses positive incentives or negative sanctions to get people to do what one wants. It is the typical carrot and stick method (where the carrot represents incentives, and the stick represents sanctions or punishment). It forces or coerces people from outside themselves (externally) to do what one wants them to do (Richardson & Earle, 2006:14-15). It should be clear that this approach is not missions with the destitute, but rather missions to the destitute, where we force our beliefs, programmes and agendas onto the destitute by the use (or rather abuse) of things like food, shelter and clothing as incentives, or expulsion from the programme or other disciplinary measures as sanction.
Identification as a means of motivation employs identification with a group to persuade an individual to accept the standards of a group. The individual “identifies” with the group, accepts their standards, and gains the benefits of membership. This occurs when individuals feel a strong attachment to a group. They then accept the group standards not because they are strongly committed to the standard, but because they believe in the group (Richardson & Earle, 2006:15). While “identification” is a much better type of motivation than external motivation, it is insufficient in itself and must be viewed as a significant step towards the kind of motivation needed for true missions with the destitute, namely intrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation requires internalization, where individuals internalize (accept as their own) group standards and regulate their own behaviour. In other words, they become self-motivated to change (Richardson & Earle, 2006: 15). In such a scenario, helpers function only as facilitators.
Note that both identification and internalization take place when people connect to a group (community). Helpers should also realize that identification usually precedes internalization; therefore mission with the destitute by the laypeople, befriending the destitute with Gods love, to connect them to a community of care, as part of our model becomes very important. If we can connect them to a community of care with which they can identify, “internalization” of the standards of the group should follow more or less spontaneously, meaning people become self-motivated to change their lives.

4.2.2Using sources of intrinsic motivation towards self-motivation

Taking a further step, Richardson & Earle (2006: 20-26) distinguish four sources of intrinsic motivation:

4.2.2.1Commitment to an important cause

The story is told of a man traveling in a distant country. He came upon a very large and impressive construction project. Naturally, he was curious and wanted to know what was being built. He found a man at work on the project and asked: “What is this project you’re doing?” The laborer looked at him as if he was dense and replied: “Can’t you see? I’m laying bricks.” Naturally, this didn’t satisfy the traveler’s curiosity, so he stopped another laborer, with much the same result. “Can’t you see I’m building a wall?” Unwilling to let it go, he stopped a third laborer with the same question. This time, he got what he was looking for. Said the laborer with pride: “I’m building a mighty temple to my God.” (Richardson & Earle, 2006:20)
What would be an important cause for the destitute? Just to survive, or maybe to become self-sustaining or maybe something even bigger, like becoming non-destitute and then becoming part of an effort to help other people because that is what God wants?
Before we determine the answer, let us ask them, and then tap into their dreams for realizing their important causes, that is, carrying out missions with the destitute.

4.2.2.2Feeling part of a valued group

This aspect concerns connecting to a group, and subsequently becoming loyal to that group in the process of defining the goals of “our group” together. It would seem that destitute people often seek out others (who are similarly destitute), to connect to. We seldom see the destitute on their own. Alson Ngoveni of Pretoria Community Ministries coined a term for this, namely “community of the street”: a community where destitute people form groups of their own (often only two people), in order to help and protect one another.
There is an important lesson here for helpers. If we really want to empower the destitute to become self-motivated to change, we firstly need to help them connect to groups. These might be the church community, specific small groups within that church community, or even groups formed in the shelter or project. As members of the group come to value their buddies more, they become more loyal to the goals of that group, and then begin to grow together. For instance, the goal of a group of destitute people in a shelter might become one of starting a project that reconnects members to their family, and they may start helping one another to achieve this goal; they have become part of a valued group. They have become self-motivated to improve, change, and so forth.
The second part of the lesson is that we as helpers must learn to respect and connect to their communities in a manner that will open up those communities to be empowered.

4.2.2.3Developing ownership in something really worthwhile

When we force our ideas and goals onto people, they will want to escape from our plans at the earliest opportunity. But when a project becomes their own, filled with their ideas, driven by them, they gain ownership. Naturally people will work harder for something they consider their own than for someone else’s ideas. Once again, therefore, we should ask the destitute about the kinds of projects they wish to drive in order to improve their own lives, and subsequently helpers should facilitate the realization of these projects.

4.2.2.4Having great expectations

This refers to developing a vision in people, while at the same time affirming that they can do it, because they possess strengths that will empower them to reach their goals (even if those strengths are sometimes hidden). When people start believing that their dreams can come true, and that they do possess the ability to make them come true, they become powerfully self-motivated.

4.2.3Using valued strategies to help people become motivated

Freemantle’s contribution (2003:1) is to describe six key techniques which must be applied to empower people to become motivated when times are difficult. Not liking the term “techniques” (which I see as something I force onto others), I prefer to use the term “valued strategies”, by which I mean strategies that create “value” in the engagement between helpers and the destitute, where this “value” promotes self-motivation in people. These “valued strategies” are described below.

4.2.3.1Generate and sustain hope

As long as it seems as if there is no hope, people will not be willing to make an effort for any cause, even that of becoming non-destitute.

4.2.3.2Focus on simple short term goals

When we “overload” people with our own “big vision” too soon, they will not pursue the goal, because it will seem too huge to tackle. However, if we continuously talk to the destitute about their own goals, and make plans with them to reach those goals step by step, they gain ownership and become self-motivated.

4.2.3.3Encourage creativity and risk-taking

The “old, normal way” of doing things often did not work for the destitute; as a consequence helpers need to open up possibilities for creative goals where the former are able to risk trying something new. This means encouraging people to reach for their goals, even if there is risk involved and also that helpers must be creative in the way they engage the destitute.

4.2.3.4Keep everyone involved

We have seen that people become more motivated when they are part of a valued group. Therefore helpers must engage the members of these groups all together towards projects and goals, so that they can promote motivation in one another.

4.2.3.5Give time to people

(Especially when it comes to new ideas that require personal change.)

People, especially the destitute, often need time to think things through, and time to learn to trust the true intentions of helpers.

4.2.3.6Listen and learn

Continuous conversation is central to empowering destitute people to become self-motivated. The helper’s role as a result becomes that of “expert listener”, so that we can “hear” their dreams, and hopes and needs, and strengths. If we do this, we should learn from the destitute, and become more competent to empower them.

4.2.4Conclusion

Mission with the destitute becomes empowerment when helpers learn to facilitate a process whereby destitute people can become self-motivated to grow, to change, to develop, to change their own lives.
This requires that helpers connect people to valued communities and groups so that “identification” can take place. From there people could grow to become self-motivated by means of “internalization”, which must be fostered by strategies that create “value” in the engagement between helpers and the destitute.