Motivational talk is cheap

Conference organisers often seem to believe that their delegates need motivation and that it's best supplied by motivational speakers. I've just returned from an annual conference on cerebral palsy. As has often been the case in the past, the keynote event was a motivational speaker. I fortunately found something else urgent and pressing to do and was spared the fake "inspiring" attitude and the usual inane, tired cliches - "think outside the box"; "if you can think it, you can do it"; "if you can visualise it, you can have it", as was reported to me later.

The best (or worst) I've experienced was at a similar conference in Cape Town some years ago. The Minister of Education of the Western Cape province was the opening and keynote speaker. He had a "pleasant" surprise for us. He graced us with his presence and wisdom, but had brought along not only his own motivational speaker, but also his personal motivational singer. I sat through the motivational speaker with some difficulty, but when the singer burst loose found some pressing business outside (as did half the other delegates).

I suppose that there is a need for good motivational speakers, but I have been unable to find evidence as to the effectiveness of motivational talks. My experience has been that a good motivational speaker provides a short-lived "high" and some short-lived good intentions.

School children tend to be more easily influenced and suggestible - possibly making motivational talks by good role models more effective than for adults. I would suggest that the most effective motivational speaker would be someone who has achieved highly in another field, i.e. a sportsperson, disabled person, soldier, scientist, explorer, etc. This could give children and young people heroes and role models other than drug-popping popstars and celebrities who are famous because they are famous.