You need to talk to a military audience about motivation. How do you connect with them?

One thing I find useful when driving motivational speeches is to listen before talking, someone very wise taught me that “I learn nothing by talking “, so first thing - listen, understand your audience and find ways to connect with their experience, coming from having a military father I always saw and learned how the bond they build is so strong and resilient because it comes from a place of respect and honor. Understand your audience is a group of very honorable people, find ways to be relatable,these military folks are humans too, and they also have feelings that are worth explore and learn more. You are motivating people that have abandoned their own selfish ways for the honor and defense of others, make it a point to respect that.

Consider the educational technique of spaced repetition, where knowledge is gained through progressively spaced reviews. This method mirrors military training's repetitive drills, where skills and tactics are practiced until they become an innate part of the soldier's repertoire. Just as spaced repetition solidifies knowledge, the military's rigorous, disciplined practice ensures peak readiness and competency. Also, you can use the Samurai's discipline as an example. They were not merely warriors; they were devotees to the art of mastery of loyalty, honor, and valor. This mirrors the military ethos where discipline isn't solely about adherence to commands but about gaining a deeper, personal commitment to excellence.

Do you need to "talk about" motivation or to actually motivate people? Do you need to train military officers to become good motivators themselves or to galvanize soldiers before a battle? Motivation is contagious. If you want to motivate somebody, start with yourself. Forget about the theory, the tone or the style. When you have a real fire burning within you, people feel it and light up instantly.

My biggest tip for this is: If you want to speak with military veterans or those still serving. Be authentic. I have seen so many so-called experts selling courses (property, speaker, online selling, Forex, etc) to military personnel on the basis they care about the military. I have even signed up for many of them, only to find that I need to sign up for a more expensive course to receive anything like the benefits I wanted and needed. My lesson from this is to be careful who you do business with and make sure they are more interested in how they can help you rather than how they can help their bank balance. I believe money is the silent applause for a job well done. I also believe a service needs to be done well to earn the applause

First of all, I consider a profound life mission and the resilience to overcome life's formidable challenges. A journey of an individual committed to the defense of their nation and their people. Here is the first thing I have learned from them: 1.Unyielding Motivation: Motivation stands as the bedrock of a military career, propelling individuals through daunting challenges and inspiring them to triumph over obstacles. Often rooted in a deep love for their homeland, a sense of duty, and an ardent desire to contribute to the security and well-being of the nation, motivation manifests as discipline and a commitment to a higher purpose, driving military personnel to execute their responsibilities with excellence. Coming up... "Life Mission"

You thank them for their service. You use words that they live by..honour, respect, courage, selfless commitment, integrity, teamwork and discpline. You understand family also means their military family. You don't talk like you understand if you have never been there. You inspire them by understanding they already have the knowledge, skills, experience and attitude to get the job done. You reference those skills to the job at hand. They will find a way. They will overcome challenges, they will win over naysayers and they will ask for help if they need it, because they are taught TEAM. The biggest killer to their motivation is procrastination, ambiguity, indecision, magpie behaviour and waffle. Value their worth and you will win them over.

My husband was a warrior through and through. We had different experiences. I am a peace keeper. When he died the day before his 52nd birthday, I was left vulnerable and insecure. His sons from a previous marriage sued me. His death taught me to claim my inner warrior. I went to the library and found books on warriors of all kinds. I made a list of all the characteristics I valued. My perspective changed to reflect-value what I had not recognized as important. I began to claim, appreciate and honor the warriors who protect, lead, risk and sacrifice for me everyday in places in the USA and global locations. I am humbled by the spouses, partners, and friends who support warriors. I have gained inner strength from the stories of their lives!

My story starts by me sharing that after dying 3.5 times I realised dying wasn't what I wanted from life. Well, why would I? Would you like to know more? Now, I haven't time to go into the details here. What I can say is it involved a fair share of physical and emotional pain, a divorce, near bankruptcy, failing miserably, and being homeless. The thing is, being FUBARRED is not what determines us. It is what we do when we seem FUBARRED that makes us. So, what life story gives you the experience, knowledge, and wisdom, to help others in a meaningful way? I am so passionate about helping my fellow veteran comrades. I have created a Mastermind program that encompasses all I have discovered in my 35+ years in business What can you share?

Sharing your story is the best way to connect with this audience. However, it’s also important to be mindful of what story you are telling. The military is tough. The stories they have are rough. The best thing a civilian can do is to share an authentic story of how they overcome their most difficult challenge.

Drawing from my experience in addressing military audiences: Personal Storytelling: Share personal experiences of overcoming challenges, coping with failure, or finding motivation. This builds credibility and creates a genuine connection. Inspiration through Real-Life Examples: Use these stories to underscore key points and inspire action, making the message relatable and impactful for a military audience.

FUBAR is a great term that I believe encapsulates the camaraderie, dynamism, and resilience we have in the military. While you can take the man or woman out of the Army. You can never, ever, take the Army out of them. To some, the term FUBAR may spell defeat. To the many teams and individuals I have worked with, it has spurred them on to overcome formidable challenges in impossible situations. As a former member of The Corps of Royal Engineers, I recall with pride our motto - Ubique Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt (Everywhere, Where Right and Glory lead) The motto of the Royal Engineers (RE) is 'Ubique' meaning 'everywhere'; physically and conceptually the Sappers, our nickname, are hardwired into joint effects in all arenas. Go find your why!

In my experiences addressing military audiences: Adopt Military Jargon: Integrate military-specific acronyms, slang, and phrases like 'HOOAH' or 'OORAH' into the speech to show understanding and respect for their culture. Use Military Analogies: Employ metaphors and examples rooted in military experiences to clarify concepts, demonstrating appreciation and connection with the audience's background.

If you don’t have a military background, you don’t need to try to emulate the language. Especially where it can differ so much between the branches and even trades within service. Keep your language you and you points will come across far more authentically.

Using the same language as your audience can help you connect with them. First, it would show that you have done your research about your audience. Second, your audience would find it easy to relate to you. Third, it would allow your audience to connect your message with their experience. Thus, it pays to use the same language as your audience. But make sure you are using it in the right way and the right context.

Based on my experience in engaging with military audiences: Set High Standards: Challenge them to pursue excellence, emphasizing the importance of setting and striving for high goals to foster growth and improvement. Inspire Action and Responsibility: Encourage them to take ownership of their motivation and actions, focusing on being the best version of themselves and serving their mission with honor.

From the many presentations I have delivered, starting with a challenge is always useful. Challenge your audience by asking them to decide on the following critical objectives: What is your mission in life? - no not that one. Your real mission. What are you prepared to sacrifice, do, or invest to achieve it? How many stages/steps are there in the sequence? When must you achieve it? How will you know when you have achieved it? Who must you become to achieve your mission? Why do you want to achieve your mission? Who else will benefit? What is your start date? When they are clear on their objectives they have a much better chance of achieving their mission. Have a brilliant day

The military love a challenge and a mission. Getting the audience to be part of the outcome and be involved definitely will gain traction.

Talk like a leader, motivate, inspire and the more important thing involvement on pride and honor. The key words: You can do it. I believe in you. You're almost done! I'll see you soon! We're at the halfway point! some messages of encouragement and service.

Most people don't remember what was said, great speakers are remembered for how they made you feel. A challenge to your audience should be broad and visionary if you are an outside speaker. Leave the specific goals to the management team. "This is your life, and you are creating value for others by the contributions you make large and small, whether you realize it or not. I challenge you to recognize EACH moment you are in the presence of another human being has eternal value written in the annals of time, this year make them all count."

This is true, as veterans and serving people come from a hugely diverse range of skills and backgrounds. Some will have been frontline their whole career. Some may have imposter syndrome as they perceive they weren’t. Some were ranking officers, some have achieved much more since leaving the services than they achieved in service. All need recognition to effectively communicate to and not alienate.

From my own experiences in addressing military personnel: Acknowledging Service and Sacrifice: Explicitly thank them for their dedication, courage, and the sacrifices they make for the nation, highlighting the significance of their service. Expressing Deep Respect: Convey genuine admiration and respect for their character and commitment, helping to create a positive, memorable end to the speech and strengthening the connection with the audience.

Gratititude is the bridge that helps everyone to cross the hurdles of life with gratitude. It is a way of not only saying thankyou to the soldiers and army men for taking care of us but also acknowledging their sacrifices and an assurance that we are with them and their families. In gratitude lies humility and a tree full of fruits is always humble. Gratitude is the language of the heart which soothes and motivates all the hearts forever.

Military audience have hearts usually braver than others, especially if they joined military with passion to serve nation and not for post retirement benefits. Such people usually don't look for motivation as their inspiration is already within them in the form of fire. The only challenge I see is when they are away from family frustration might peep in also during when they fall sick physically. During those moments it will be good someone talks to them&connects with them emotionally in empathetic way. They do not need motivational talks to be pushed/ challenged. They have challenged themselves and joined military (I mean the first category). Also additional recognition to be done more to ensure their inspiration flame/fire is not put off.

Start the talk about their will power and determination to join the forces. Motivating them about the very purpose of their job and the sacrifices they are making in terms of families, working in extreme weather conditions and their way of living. Salute them for their patriotism and thank them for safeguarding the country from external threats.

The focus on this type of talks should be about them: Their heroics, their stories and their lives. Make it interactive. Be a catalyst in helping them share their stories. Appreciate them for their contribution. Your role would be like a talk show host or a panel moderator. Yes, you share your perspectives and narratives. Yet at the appropriate time. Never over power them with the concept of I, me and myself. Prepare for the talk with clear time lines and a core message.

One tip while speaking to those whose shoes you may never have worn that has helped me is to own that fact. Do not beat around the bush and shy away from addressing the elephant in the room. The audience will respect you more. Humility and authenticity make up for relatability to some extent when you own it. Also, make it interactive. Ask questions and take cues from the audience. Genuinely iterate and adapt basis their verbal and non verbal cues as you speak to them.

Empathy is a great way of connecting with your audience. By placing yourself in the other person's shoes you actually create a niche for gratitude which is the key connector of hearts. Empathy and gratitude reaches out and touches the hearts of all and makes this world a better and safe place to live and cherish forever.