Empathetic Motivation: Three Integral Noetic Options
For decades much has been written about motivation but little about the motivational benefits and limitations of consciously using a range of three different forms of behavior in an empathetic way. This approach, I suggest, is an integral noetic perspective relative to motivation applicable in virtually all kinds of social situations – parents and children, leaders and followers, consultants and clients, teachers and students, health care providers and patients, politicians and constituents, and the like.
Paraphrasing an ancient philosopher, I have come to see that for every motivational behavior under the sun there is a time, a season, a reason, a limitation, and a mutually healthful and productive result. Put another way, every behavior one expresses has a more or less motivating or demotivating affect on others.
Another underlying working assumption is that all major motivational behaviors -- directive, participative, and non-directive -- have their strengths and limitations depending on the individual and situation in which those behaviors are expressed. In other words, each behavior may have a different affect on different people and their motivation to effectively achieve any given intention.
Empathy is recommended as the most useful key for coming to understand when and when not to use any one or a combination of all three behaviors in a mutually healthful and productive way. And it is important to remember the caveats attending each.
In the attachment I present a chart overviewing directive, participative, and non-directive behavioral modes and their probable affect on other people’s self-empowerment, motivation, and commitment. If you are unable to access this attachment please write to me at omnimind@admin.umass.edu and I'll use another approach to get a copy to you.
