One of the things I learned owhen I first started doing motivational presentations was it was hard to know if anyone ever took action as a result of what they heard. I reflected on this and wondered what I could do to encourage listeners to take action, and also to get feedback on how they had got on. So I created the concept of the commitment card - where people write down one action they will commit to taking and I follow up with them after a month or so.
What my intention is behind doing this was reinforced when listening to an episode of a Radio 4 Programme - Persuading Us to be Good where they described the concept of cognitive dissonance and how when people make a public commitment they are less likely to change their minds later. Aha - I thought that is why I encourage the completion of commitment cards.
Over the years, they have produced some really interesting results. Many people say that knowing I would follow up with them encouraged them to take the action, others say they felt supported in taking an action related to something they had been thinking about for a while. No matter what the reason is, it excites me to get feedback that people have taken action - as that is the only way we learn, and get encouragement to take the next step....
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