Comments to: crs@uvm.eduReviewed as of 4/20/98
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EXERCISE TWO
Why Do I Do It?
> PART I
1. Divide the members into groups of three to five people.
2. Pass out the "Why do I do it?" sheet to each person and ask
them to select the five items that best answer the question, "Why
do I participate in this group or on this board?" You can use a
specific activity or project instead of the words "this group"
(i.e., "Why do I participate "in this activity?") Again, be
flexible.
3. When the members have made their selections individually, they
should share them with the others in their subgroup and explain
the reasons for their selections. Each person is permitted to
make any changes they wish on their list. The lists are then put
aside until later.
> PART II
1. Give each subgroup one of the following problems, or better
yet, make up one of your own. They have 10 minutes to develop
three ways they would motivate the person in the problem and to
identify a few advantages and disadvantages of the methods they
chose.
Sample problem situations
* How would you get Greg to start attending meetings? He
has already missed three out of the last four meetings.
* How would you get your spouse to stop offering your
private wine stock to her friends and relatives?
* How would you get your husband or relative to shave
his beard?
* The mayor has just fired the director of an agency who
has been very useful to you and others because the
mayor wants to appoint her cousin to the post. You
want the mayor to change her mind. How would you do
this?
* How would you get your local representative to vote in
favor of the upcoming amendment?
* How would you keep your teenager from getting arrested
during the upcoming demonstration to stop ____________
(even though you were going to be there)?
* How would you get your friend, who is on your
committee, to stop working so hard and let you help him
before he burns out?
2. Now have the discussion leader or a recorder take down on
sheets of newsprint a few words on some of the solutions each
sub-group came up with.
3. Have the following questions ready on newsprint. Add a couple
of your own or ones that the group comes up with. With a marker,
write A, B, C, D (corresponding to the questions which follow) on
each of the solutions you brainstormed in Part II, to indicate
which of the following answers they choose.
A. Did you use the carrot (some form of reward)?
B. Did you use the stick (some form of power)?
C Did you use some sort of outside influence?
D. Did you rely on the person him or herself?
> PART III
1. Have a score sheet prepared on newsprint to correspond to the
numbers on the "Why do I do it?" sheets (the first part of this
exercise) that were filled out earlier. Using those sheets, have
the group vote for the top five choices. Each person has a total
of five votes, one for each of their choices. Tally up the
results and select the five highest.
2. Now have the group rate each of the five selections against
the "carrot and the stick questions" above--and discuss the
relationship between what they said motivated them and the
methods they were willing to use on others.
3. Now take a real task or project that the group is involved in
at the present or will be in the future. In a discussion or
using the brainstorm method, figure out ways the group might make
members more motivated.
EXERCISE TWO:
Why Do I Do It?
Think of an activity, project, or a group/board that you have
been a part of in some way. Read through the following list and
select five items that best answer the question, "Why do I
participate in ______________?" Feel free to add your own items
in the space provided.
1. I like it, it's fun.
2. It's easy for me to do it, I'm good at it.
3. I like the other people who are doing it.
4. I'm getting paid to do it.
5. I don't trust someone else to do it.
6. It's something that has to be done, and no one else is going
to do it.
7. I mind doing it less than others, so I'll do it.
8. People trust me doing it.
9. People respect me when I do it.
10. It gives me a chance to do something I can do well.
11. It's an important thing to do.
12. If I don't do it, there will be more trouble than it's worth.
13 I've been in on the planning, so I should see it through.
14 I enjoy having a responsibility like that.
15. It gives me a chance to do it the way I want to.
16. It's something I believe in.
17. I like working with the person who is the chairperson.
18. It's something that can help me to develop new skills.
19. I may not be getting money but I'm getting something else.
20. If I do this, then I'll get ______________.
21. It's a good way to make new friends and meet important
people.
22. It's something I've always wanted to do.
23. It will help a lot of people who really need it.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Credit: Robert C. Biagi, Cooperative Extension,
University of Massachausetts, Amherst.
Comments to: crs@uvm.edu
Reviewed as of 4/20/98