Motivating The Instructional Designer

It may hit you when you’re writing a storyboard to teach a poorly designed software program. You may have received an eLearning review from a client with revisions on every slide. Suddenly, your de-motivation button is triggered, and you can’t seem to shake it off. You start to wonder why you’re doing this in the first place. What does it take to stay motivated in instructional design?

We spend a lot of time theorizing and thinking about how to motivate learners. But what about us? We often sit at a computer for untold hours doing work that few people understand, including our mothers! We usually wear many hats and frequently work with dry or dull content. Yet, I still love this field. Here’s my advice for ways to get and stay motivated when you’re less than excited about your work.

1. You’re the learner’s advocate

I’ll never forget my instructional design professor telling the class we were the learners’ advocates. I’ve always remembered those words. An advocate “pleads the cause of another; defends or maintains a cause or proposal; and supports or promotes the interests of another,” according to Webster Online.

We take the learner seriously and ensure that things are explained clearly, that the experience is engaging, and that tests are fair and objective. Advocating for learners is one way to stay motivated in instructional design.

2. Remember that your learning experience will help someone

Learning design is a selfless job because it’s not about you—it’s about them—the learners and participants. Often, no one knows who creates the experiences you work so hard to design. Your effort has the potential to help another person become more competent at work, life, or school, which has a ripple effect.

I’ve created learning experiences that teach people how to save lives, cooperate as a team, operate heavy equipment safely, and use software. I’m sure you’ve created life-changing learning experiences, too, or will someday. This is fulfilling work, and that’s motivating.

3. Dive in heart and soul until it becomes interesting

Everything under the sun can be fascinating if you see it from the proper perspective. Look at the content from both a bird’ s-eye view and a detailed view. Let your mind expand as you immerse yourself in it and explore connections and relationships. It will become more intriguing as you work through the material with wonder and curiosity.

4. Imagine you’re the learner

Put yourself in the learner’s place to understand the value of the learning experience that’s in your hands to shape. Consider how the experience will relate to the learner’s universe. Imagine how you would like to encounter this information if you were the learner. Then, psych yourself to find ways to make it compelling.

5. Think visually

Visual thinking prompts you to look at things uniquely. Even when you don’t think you’re an artist, you can still sketch with stick figures and geometric shapes while thinking. Sketching is a cognitive aid that might help you break through the doldrums.

Use mind maps, a versatile tool, to analyze and organize content. Use mind maps to plan out interactions. Draw charts and diagrams to understand relationships. Doodle. Sketch. Check out 21 Ways to Get Visual Ideas.

6. Get fascinated by the brain

Problem-solving is a motivating task. Your problem is how to provide an engaging learning experience that turns information into knowledge and practice into competence that can be transferred to real-world situations. This requires understanding how the mind works and how people process information.

You might get inspired by reading about how people learn. Read Design for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen. You may find it motivating to apply more learning theory and brain science to your work.

7. Look around at other works

Take some time to check out learning solutions around the web. People are coming up with great ideas for blended learning, collaborative learning, interactivity, and instructional strategies. Finding and trying new ideas might inspire you to stay motivated in instructional design.

If you get inspired by visual design, collect a few graphic design books and browse them when you’re feeling unmotivated, visit a physical bookstore, or check out design blogs.

8. Create robust learning experiences

It’s motivating to think about creating an experience rather than a solitary course. Building long-term skills requires more than one learning event. Instead, create various online and offline events that support learning. Consider alternative instructional strategies, like adding social technolgies and informal approaches.

When you try out new strategies, it not only motivates learners, it can inspire you. Check out: 30 Ways to Motivate Adult Learners.

9. Seek out community

I’ve never experienced friendlier and more helpful communities than those built around learning specialists, instructional designers and developers. You’re not alone in this field and you can get support, inspiration and answers to issues through the many online communities of practice associated with online learning. Check out many of the groups on LinkedIn and Facebook as well as professional organizations like the Learning Guild, ATD, TLDC, LDA, and my community, Mastering Instructional Design.

10. Analyze yourself

I don’t want to get all pop psychology on you, but let’s face it, sometimes when you’re unmotivated it’s not the work itself but the workplace. Consider whether something else is going on.

Perhaps you don’t feel valued at work, you’re underpaid or your deadlines are unreasonable. If this is the case, try to separate your issues about the workplace from the actual work you’re doing. Try to take care of the workplace situation or promise yourself you’ll take care of it soon. Then put it aside so you can stay motivated in instructional design to do a great job for learners and participants. They deserve it.