The document discusses 3 core motivators - knowledge, relationship, and action - that drive student behavior and how understanding a student's primary motivator can help when they are under stress. It provides descriptions of typical behaviors and effective strategies for each of the 3 types when students are stressed, such as encouraging knowledge-driven students to stay open to new experiences, helping relationship-driven students connect to guidance, and giving action-driven students concrete plans. The document aims to help career counselors understand student motivations to better assist them during difficult times.
3. If I could, I would stay in school forever. I love learning.
My research advisor says I should consider grad school.
Maybe it’s because I spend hours in her lab!
“Knowledge is power”
Seek to discover and create knowledge
Detail oriented, exacting
Want to know a lot about everything
All knowledge is potentially useful
Analyze and formulate new concepts
Knowledge driven
4. My friends and I love hanging out together,
volunteering at the animal shelter, and giving each other advice.
Since I enjoy helping people, I’ve been thinking about becoming
a nurse or social worker.
“It’s all in who you know”
Strive to create and deepen relationships
Nurturing, patient
Interpret world through people and relationships
Understand others intuitively and effortlessly
Mental rolodex of people based on commonalities
Relationship driven
5. I have big goals in life. I want to run a successful business,
eventually go to law school, and maybe even run for office one day.
I should probably spend more time studying but being president
of my org takes up a lot of time!
“Money is power”
Energize others to take action
Multitaskers, big picture oriented
Persuasive, engaging communicators
Inspire others to transform beliefs into tangible action
Natural-born leaders
Action driven
10. Which is your core?
Knowledge
Relationship
Action
Which is your secondary?
11. TASK:
Get in groups based on your type.
Create a Facebook page for a typical student of your
type
Possible categories
o Arts & Entertainment
o Activities & Interests
o Favorite quotes
o Number of friends
Activity
13. May have anxiety because “not knowing” is uncomfortable
Might isolate self from others, not take action
Encourage staying open to new experiences
Provide online resources
Approach with an analytical strategy
During stressful times,
Knowledge driven…
14. May feel frustrated or lost
May stay in adverse situations out of loyalty or
emotion-based reasons
Help connect them to
professionals, professors, and mentors for
guidance
Validate challenges and encourage next steps
Share inspiring stories
During stressful times,
Relationship driven…
15. May prioritize socializing before academics
May feel stuck or ineffective because lack of goals
May engage in risk-taking behaviors
Teach that not everything is solved by taking action.
May need to engage emotionally or reflect on past events.
Help create a concrete plan with experiential components
During stressful times,
Action driven…
16. May the 3 motivators
inform the way
we help students!
Lynn Chang, Ph.D.
Sanger Learning & Career Center
For more information:
The Human Fabric- Unleashing the power of core
energy in everyone (2004) Goswami & Wolpert