People are motivated in different ways. While one person will feel rewarded by a pay rise, another will value praise and recognition above all else. Another will measure their success through a promotion.

Training can be a strong motivating factor for your staff, as it helps them grow and gain new skills. This will help their performance at work and make them more marketable or employable.

To be effective, training needs the full participation and commitment of your staff. While these things cannot be forced, they can be encouraged and developed through:

Commitment

To encourage commitment from another, you must be committed. 

Honesty

Integrity and honesty are fundamental to gaining the trust, respect and truth of others. Don't inflate benefits, underestimate problems, or promise promotions you can’t make.

Choices

Find out what training your staff want and whether it is aligned with your business objectives. If your staff really need skills that they are not interested in, recognise their thoughts and feelings and ask for their support.

"There is nothing your can do to get another person to commit. Commitment requires freedom of choice."  Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline – the Art & Practice of the Learning Organisation, 1992