Tip Tuesday - Keeping Group Members Motivated

As the saying goes, "Attitude is everything, so pick a good one." Find ways to always keep a good attitude and keep motivating your members. Constant positive motivation is the key to the success of your group.

Here are some tips:

• Invite students to follow BACCHUS on social media (BACCHUS Network) and check out our blog: peereducator.org. Your NASPA Region may also have a BACCHUS social media account.
• Send as many members as possible to leadership conferences, on your campus and off, like the General Assembly and spring conferences for members as reward for their efforts.
• Offer the Certified Peer Educator training on your campus to your members and their friends. Then let them put their new skills into action. Revisit some of the key lessons throughout the year to fully integrate the material.
• Establish a point system for members, one that offers them the chance to attend trainings, win prizes or awards. Friendly competition can provide excellent motivation.
• Change up the typical routine of meetings. Gather at a coffee shop, conduct a walking meeting, or meet outdoors in a green space.
• Invite a motivational speaker to address your leaders and the leaders of other student groups and organizations on campus.
• Expect the best from people you lead. If you establish high but realistic expectations, you give your group an achievable goal.
• Check in to see how the group can better address members' needs and barriers to full involvement.
• Create an environment where failure is not fatal. Always take the time to debrief events and treat challenges as learning experiences.
• Recognize and applaud achievements. This is often a more effective way of motivation than the achievement itself.
• Use a mixture of positive and constructive reinforcement for members. Students want laurels for good jobs and ways to improve for their next endeavor.
• Permanently discontinue the use of words such as "I, me, or my" when talking about the peer educators’ efforts, replace it with "we, us, or our." Remember we are working as a team.
• Place a premium on collaboration. More can be achieved working together. Assign tasks in pairs to have members help each other.
• Set the stage for open-mindedness and a broad range of viewpoints to make the group a comfortable setting for all members to share.
• Set goals as an entire group. People own what they help create.
• Take steps to keep your own motivation high. This will positively affect the motivation of those around you.
• Remember member's birthdays in some small way: sing, eat cake, or make a nice card.
• Put a classified ad in your student newspaper every week, thanking a member who has made a contribution to the organization.
• Give people meaningful work.

This is part of a series of resources that peer education groups have found helpful. A PDF version can be found under ‘Resources’ in the BACCHUS Initiatives section of the website.