Why it matters and how to build it into your training design

Let’s talk about motivation for learning. This is partly prompted by my first day back volunteering in the wet and sludgy Mersey Forest, and partly due to the fact that it’s annual objective setting time! See my ‘Musing’ live from the wet, muddy forest below…

Motivation is something that we all know about, we probably all think about when designing learning… but perhaps a lot later in the process than we should. I think its importance is often underestimated in training design. We’ve all experienced those mandatory training workshops where people are present in body but not in spirit, or seen people clicking through eLearning as fast as the “Next” button allows.

Plent good training can be seen to fail this way. Not because the content, pitch or structure was poor, but because the motivation to engage with it (and then actually use it) just wasn’t there.

Motivation isn’t about enthusiasm or participation for its own sake; it’s about whether learners believe the effort you’re asking then to give is worth it: will it pay off in their real work? Will it be worth their while when there are so many other things demanding their time, energy and attention?

When that belief is missing, even the best-designed learning struggles to make an impact. That’s why understanding learner motivation upfront matters so much – it’s the difference between learning that’s completed and learning that’s applied.

And whilst we aren’t going to be able to tap into everyone individual motivations when designing learning, there are a few things that we can do that will help.

1. Involve the learners in the design.
   What to do: Ask a handful of learners what’s actually hard in their role, what good looks like, or what would make training genuinely useful. Test examples, scenarios, or tools with them before you roll anything out.
   Why: People care far more about learning they’ve had a hand in shaping. Even small moments of involvement create ownership — and ownership increases motivation to engage and apply what follows.
   
2. Design for the effort people are realistically willing to invest.
   What to do: Be honest about how much thinking, practice, or behaviour change you’re asking for, and design with the reality of people’s workloads in mind. Prioritise what will genuinely help over what looks impressive, or is trendy.
   Why: Motivation drives effort — and without effort, learning stays superficial.
   
3. Spell out what’s in it for them — in their words, not the businesses.
   What to do: Clearly explain how this learning will make their job easier, safer, or less frustrating. Lead with practical benefits, not organisational objectives.
   Why: People engage with learning that matters to them and helps them succeed at work, not with goals written for reporting.
   
4. Start from a problem they already recognise.
   What to do: Anchor the learning to a situation they know well — a tricky conversation, a recurring error, or a measure they’re judged on.
   Why: Learning feels worthwhile when it helps with something that they’re already focused on and want to achieve.
   
5. Don’t rely on “it’s mandatory” to do the heavy lifting.
   What to do: Even when training is required, explain why it matters and give learners some control over how they engage or apply it if possible.
   Why: You can make attendance or completion compulsory, but you can’t force meaningful engagement.
   
6. Prove its usefulness early.
   What to do: Build in a quick win e.g. a tool, prompt, or small shift they can use immediately.
   Why: Early value builds trust, and trust makes learners far more willing to invest in deeper learning later.

At the end of the day, learner motivation isn’t a “nice to have” or a soft add-on to good design — it’s the thing everything else rests on. When motivation is missing, even strong content and skilled facilitation will struggle to make a difference. But when people can see a clear personal payoff, recognise their own challenges in the learning, and feel some sense of ownership over it, effort follows — and effort is where learning actually happens.

So before adding another activity, interaction, or module, it’s worth pausing to ask a simpler question: why would someone care enough to try this on a busy Tuesday afternoon? If you can answer that honestly — from the learner’s point of view — you’re already doing the most important part of the work.