Aligning Motivations
As the Finance Chair began to speak, he was sure that what he was about to say would inspire the members of the congregation to increase their giving.
“So far this year, our expenses are running 7.5% ahead of our income. If we continue at this pace, we’ll finish the year with a significant deficit. If everyone here will step up and give another $5 a week, we’ll cover our budget. We all voted for this budget. I encourage you to step up to the challenge and meet our obligations.”
Sadly following this speech, the only thing that increased significantly in the congregation was the sense of despair and failure. The Finance Chair was well intentioned. He believed every word that he said and nothing about his statement was factually incorrect, but his message failed to consider the motivations of his audience.
Dr. Kennon Callahan suggests that God gives all of us these six motivational resources:
Compassion – sharing, caring, giving, loving serving
Community – good fun, good times, belonging, family
Hope – confidence, assurance in the grace of God
Challenge – accomplishment, achievement, attainment
Reasonability – data, analysis, logic, it makes good sense
Commitment – duty, vow, obligation, loyalty
Each of these motivations is a gift. Each can be learned. Each can be extremely helpful.
The key is to understand your own motivations and the motivations of your audience. With that information, a leader can be intentional about sharing a ministry story or idea in a way that connects most fully with those involved in the ministry.
What the Finance Chair failed to realize is that while he was motivated by commitment and reasonability, he was speaking to a group of people who were motivated by compassion and community. Imagine how differently his message might have been received if he had crafted his message around compassion and community.
“Thank you for being a part of this congregation. Together we are doing some wonderful ministry in the community. It has been a tough year for everyone. We are working together to be good stewards of our financial gifts so we can make God’s love known in the world. I’m here today to let you know that so far this year our investments in ministry are higher than expected and our giving is slightly lower than expected. The Council, the Pastor, and I are excited about the ministry we have planned for the rest of the year. We have all decided to increase our giving so we can continue to be a powerful presence in our community in these difficult days. I hope you will join us and make an additional gift to support the ministry God is calling us to do.”
Understanding your motivations and crafting your message to speak to the motivations of your audience opens the door to more effective communication and higher engagement.
Reflection by Pastor John Wertz, Jr.
Six Motivations from Dr. Kennon Callahan various books and lectures
Questions for Reflection:
- Which of the six motivations resonate most completely with you?
- Which of the six motivations do you think resonate most completely with the majority of the congregation?
- Imagine that the majority of a congregation is motivated by compassion and reasonability. How could you use that knowledge to help you craft a message announcing that you will not be returning to in-person, indoor worship until at least the summer?
- How would you make the same announcement if the congregation was motivated by community and hope? or by challenge and commitment?