[Sharon]

After reading and watching the video on the six sources of influence, post on the discussion forum what you feel personally has had the greatest impact when it comes to influence and why.

[Cheryl]

I feel that personal motivation has the greatest impact because that is where the process of change must start. There has to be a need identified to foster a change and it takes someone to see this and be motivated enough to initiate the process.

[Vanessa]

I agree, we are all accountable for our own actions.

[Linda]

Cheryl,
I agree that we are all responsible for our own actions and motivation should come from ourselves. We can ‘outsource’ that motivation when necessary though…but good example

[Tammy]

i enjoyed the video very much ! i believe social influence made the biggest impact. people are storongly influenced by what others say and model as we learn by watching others and people want to belong in a team.

[Marion Catherine]

Tammy, I agree with your point that modelling the behaviour you want to see is a vital role for managers and leaders alike to adopt and sustain. We do learn by observing what is done rather than by what is said! Thank you for highlighting this point.

[Sarena]

I agree we naturally respond to the actions and attitudes of those around us

[Angusami]

I had a great time watching the video!. I believe, personal motivation, one of the sources of influnence, has the strongest impact. Change can become more enduring and permanent when an individual recognizes its significance and begins the journey at a personal level.

[Emmaline]

yes Angu, It has to be something that resonates with you on a personal level. You also need to experience firsthand how the change impacts your daily life. When a change affects you directly, you’re more likely to understand its importance and feel motivated to adapt to it.

[Linda]

Great point! Change is easier to accept when the motivation comes from your own head. I hadn’t thought of that perspective!

[Marion Catherine]

Golly, this is a tough call! Personally, I feel that all 6 aspects that influence change are needed, but not all prominent in the same moment. The perception is that one aspect cannot be effective if there are no traces of the remaining 5 influences present in each step.
When looking back on the scenario described in the first response, I was inspired by the words the executive director (E.D.) spoke during an all staff meeting that addressed some of the issues causing poor morale and took responsibility for making things right. But she stated that she couldn’t do this all alone. We, the staff, needed to participate. I am all for healthy and harmonious work environments, especially in the health care industry. It seems to me that the aspects of structural and personal motivation are at play, right off the bat.
In order to sustain interest and motivation, I need to feel that my thoughts and efforts to support the change are welcomed and useful in influencing the community’s participation in the ED’s vision for change. This then speaks to social motivation as all employees need to feel that their views and opinions matter to the outcome of the change initiative.
Then leaving the structural and personal abilities to the last point, One cannot exist without the other as influencers of change. We cannot rest in blaming the system for being broken any more than we can blame the people in the system for sustaining the brokenness. If change is going to happen on any level, its success rests in having the system shift along side the people as they shift. In this light, if the system wants to change, it must be ready in the moment to support the people as they change adopting the new vision.

[Thea]

Hi Marion Catherine,
You made a great point about how all six sources of influence need to work together. I agree that even if one stands out at times, lasting change depends on having all of them involved. Your example of the executive director stood out to me, especially how she took responsibility and encouraged staff to get involved. That shows both personal and structural motivation.

I also appreciate how you highlighted the importance of staff feeling heard. When people know their input matters, it builds social motivation and helps them get more involved in change. Your last point about systems and people needing to change together is key. Even if people are motivated, change is hard to keep up without the right support, resources, and structure.

Your reflection shows that successful change requires both individual effort and organizational support.

[Stephanie]

I hear you! In long-term care, we’ve all seen big promises fail because they don’t work in the real world on the floor. You’re right—it’s not a one-size-fits-all fix; it’s the integration of all six influences that makes it work.
When the Executive Director takes responsibility, it gives us that personal motivation to try. But we can’t do it alone. If the structural side—like having enough staff and supplies—doesn’t change with us, morale will stay low. We need the system to have our backs while we support each other. Real change only sticks when the leadership’s vision, our hard work, and the facility’s resources all line up together.

[Vanessa]

What a great video, funny but it depicted the six sources influences so well. I felt that social motivation influence was most effective. When you see others working toward a shared goal, and offering encouragement or modeling behaviors it can influence others to act the same. It creates accountability and can influence others to participate and grow which can create momentum to change and grow as a team. Modeling a behavior also demonstrates certain expectations that others should follow such as rules/policies.

I agree with you Vanessa. As the old adage goes, “they will do as you do”! Once someone spoke up, they realized others were paying attention to their action which held them accountable for their choices.

[Cheryl]

I agree—social motivation is powerful. Seeing coworkers support a shared goal builds accountability and encourages others to follow. Modeling behavior also sets the tone and reinforces expectations in ways policies alone often can’t.

[Sharon]

I believe social motivation influence made the had the greatest impact . Most individuals look to others as sources of information and most times changes their own behavior because they believe the group’s understanding of a situations are better or more correct than their own.

[Erin]

I agree, people often are socially motivated when they know they have support from others around them to help them implement any changes.

[Kellie]

In this day and age of heavy social activity, it can be a definite motivational factor in decision making. What is everyone else doing, can i fit in? Some people like myself, will wait and see what everyone else is doing and how others react to see if this is best for them as well.

[Jaswinder]

I believe social motivation is important because the people around me have an impact on me. In nursing, I am happy to follow good practices when I observe my colleagues doing similar things and encouraging one another. When around you have supportive and positive colleagues keep you inspired as well as confident in each actions. However, if environment is unsupportive it is difficult to maintain motivation even though you know what is right.

[Shea]

I agree, my answer was actually very similar. I also feel that social motivation plays a huge role, especially in nursing. Being around supportive and positive colleagues makes such a difference in staying motivated and confident in your practice. When the environment is encouraging, it’s easier to follow good practices and stay engaged, but when it’s not, it can definitely be more challenging even if you know what’s right.

[Margaret]

Hello Jaswinder, I really agree with your post. I also chose social motivation because I believe the people around us can have a big impact on how we respond to change. Support, encouragement, and teamwork can make difficult situations feel much easier to manage.

[Shea]

I feel that social motivation has had the greatest impact on influence for me. The support, expectations, and behaviors of coworkers and the team really shape how I respond to change and challenges. When I’m surrounded by a positive team that communicates well and supports each other, I’m more motivated to adapt, stay engaged, and improve my practice. It makes a big difference compared to working in an environment where there is less support or collaboration.

[Brittany]

I appreciate your choice of social motivation as a key driver of excellence, particularly your emphasis on working alongside a strong and supportive team. Social motivation is also highly significant in my own experience. While a restrictive or negative work environment can be discouraging, it can also serve as a catalyst for personal growth, motivating individuals to strive for improvement and contribute to meaningful, positive change.

[Deirdre]

Shea,

Glad that you can feel that this motivates you to improve your workplace. Working with a positive team with the same outcomes for the residents/patients we care about so much can be so gratifying 🙂

[Susan]

I believe for me personal motivation has always been a strong influence. I have always wanted to care for people and make lives better, I am motivated to work well with any team that I am part of and in the workplaces I have been in this has helped me adapt in different scenarios. There are so many influences of course, but that is what has guided me in my career.

[Stephanie]

I agree Susan. I think I am motivated for personal reasons as well. I thrive off knowing I did the best I could to care from someone or hearing someone tell me that they enjoyed having me as a nurse. What you said about being motivated to work well with your team also spoke well to me. I want to be a coworker that someone knows they can always come to for help.

[Shannon]

I agree with you. Especially being an RPN where so much of our work is independantly motivated. We can decide to always try our best or least. While seeing the outcomes of each practice and being accountable for our actions. Staff always say to dot your it’s and cross your it’s in order to protect yourself and your license in order to continue to do the great work that we do.

[Thea]

After looking at the six sources of influence, personal motivation has had the biggest effect on my ability to change and help others do the same. Personal motivation is about whether someone actually wants to change. Without that inner drive, change is hard to sustain or succeed.

In my nursing work, I have seen that even if staff get training or support from others, real change only happens when they see the value for themselves. For example, when new policies or procedures are introduced, some staff complete the training but still resist using them. But when they see how the change improves patient safety or makes their work more meaningful, they are more likely to accept it fully.

The video also shows that lasting change needs both motivation and ability at personal, social, and structural levels. Still, personal motivation comes first. When people are motivated from within, they are more open to learning new skills, accepting help, and adjusting to change.

Overall, this idea has shown me that as a nurse, influencing others is more than just giving instructions. It is about helping people connect emotionally and personally to the reason for change.

[Emmaline]

I believe that personal motivation has the greatest influence on how we respond to change. When you truly understand the reasons behind a change and how it will impact you, it becomes easier to stay engaged and motivated. That understanding helps you commit to the process and find the drive to move forward.

[Chantelle]

I agree with you. I believe when you understand a change, it’s easier to accept it and stay motivated. If something doesn’t make sense, it’s harder to stay engaged. Having that understanding definitely helps you move forward and be more open to the change.

[Jamie]

When reviewing the 6 sources of influence, I quickly felt that personal motivation was clearly the most important, as that’s where everything starts. Every idea starts with one person’s motivation to pursue it. Then I started think more about the question and realized that personal motivation can only go so far, therefore it can not be the cause of the greatest impact of change. I think the greatest impact occurs once society has adopted a change, once this happens you are well on your way to a permanent change, something that can become the new status quo. Social motivation is the most impactful part because it takes a small idea and gives it fuel. The gathering numbers of followers include those who have the power to engage in structural change.

[Aysha]

Personal motivation plays a huge role in our life. I feel my personal motivation made me what I am now, a nurse.
When we are little, we follow our parents dream. But when we grow up, we start thinking of our surroundings, we start absorbing the motivation from the society.
I totally agree with you that both has a huge role in our personal development.

[Freda]

It is hard to choose which of the six sources of influence has had the greatest impact as they all can play their part in being motivated for change. I am inclined to think the personal motivation influence would present as the most impactful. In the reading “Making Change Inevitable” it speaks to the concept of not dealing with personal motivation leading to one not being able to gain the influence required to implement a change. A change starts with those who can implement and support the change so if they are not personally motivated change will not happen. When someone is motivated, they motivate others as well. Now you have social influence and peer pressure influencing as well.

[Evan]

You make a very good point Freda. If you don’t want to make the change or don’t care to make the change then there are very few motivations that can over ride that. One of the very few I can think of is by changing it to law.

[Alexis]

After watching the video and reading the text they both strongly emphasised that you need a combination of the six sources to have successful influence. The Youtube video said that using the power of four or more sources of influence chances for success goes up 10x. The text explained that with single source influence, no single strategy has explained success. So, I believe that it isn’t just one and not one will work on every group of people. Much like being a leader, the best leader adjusts to the followers preferred learning style as we read in previous texts and I think to have the best influence you must do a combination of things and what is preferred by the audience of who you are trying to influence. For example, in the video once the kid said wash your hands all but one did, however if they combined the strategies and would have moved the hand sanitizer beside the cupcakes maybe that one kid would have washed his hands due to convince of it being right there.
In the text and the video, I would pick that social ability has the greatest impact on influence. I think social ability has the greatest impact, because social influence has an impact on all the people involved. Social ability is finding strength in numbers and helping each other which I think, to make an influence you have to think of others, see the importance of including all and being a team.

[Aysha]

To me personal motivation is the key to success/ change. If I am not feeling the urge for the change, I won’t even try. While reviewing the 6 sources of influence, I perceived that social motivation plays a vital role on our personal urge. Human naturally influences by others and when there is a change in the society, it becomes a trend. People compete each other due to personal motivation which mostly influenced by the social motivation and change.

[Nathalia]

Hi Aysha,

I agree with you that personal motivation is key, however social motivation can play a vital role as you mentioned in the cycle of changes. We are personally motivated as we see changes in our surroundings. Once we self-evaluate and we become inclined to a change, we implement. However in our practice we see the need for a change and we advocate for this to become effective, once we have considered all details and possible scenarios in order to the change to be successful. Being open and receptive helps to influence and assist others in accepting change. As nurses being supportive of each other and helping with understanding the processes helps each other grow and in turn the companies are able to align their changes with the growth of the company with a positive environment for the staff.

[Brittany]

After completing the readings, I argue that personal motivation is the most influential of the six sources of influence. I have consistently viewed myself as a highly motivated and diligent individual, and this characteristic has further strengthened since entering the nursing profession. My intrinsic drive not only shapes my daily performance but also underpins my long-term professional development. I’m committed to becoming an exceptional nurse and to achieving my career goals, and this internal motivation drives my efforts and perseverance.

[Margaret]

After reading and watching the video on the six sources of influence, I feel that social motivation has had the greatest impact on me personally. This is because the people around me often influence how motivated and consistent I am when facing change. In both my personal life and work environment, I find that support, encouragement, and teamwork make it easier to adapt and stay committed. When I feel supported by others, I am more likely to embrace change and keep going even when things are challenging. For me, this shows that influence is not only personal, but also strongly shaped by the people around us.

[Freda]

Hi Margaret, I really appreciate your post. The majority of the postings have indicated personal motivation being the greatest impact on change and you have indicated social motivation having the greatest impact. After reflecting on your post I do wonder, even if we as individuals have personal motivation it doesn’t always support change happening unless there is also social motivation. As an individual we can change personally and professionally and with social motivation change can happen so much easier. I do believe we aren’t able to make organizational change without others in the organization being motivated to change. This is truly where we need social motivation influence.

[Lisa]

This is tough, at first I want to say personal motivation – but then I think to my kids and when they get home from school I ask them to wash their hands before we eat supper. Do they want to? Of course not – this is all on social motivation. Next I think of arriving at work or a hospital/doctors office which a lot have a mask/hand sanitizer stand with a sign right as you walk in which would be structural motivation. So although I believe all 6 play a crucial role in influence my top two choices would have to be social motivation and structural motivation. After thinking about it, I will say I think social motivation had the greatest impact in the video provided. It showed although the proper equipment may be in place it took someone speaking up to get the greatest impact. I think depending on the situation and factors the most important source of influence can change.

[Stephanie]

As shown in the video, I feel that peer pressure plays a strong role in influencing change. I think this factors in positively and negatively to groups accepting change. While one person announcing for the children to clean their hands prior to eating had a positive impact, all it can take is one person resisting change for others to follow. I find in my organization, a lot of staff are resistive to change and one person bringing the change down quickly spreads to others.

[Katrina]

What I feel that has the greatest impact when it comes to influence is “Structural Ability” because you can go through all the processes, be highly motivated and dedicated through the processes, but the result lead to being unsuccessful. The question is “Do you have the ability to maintain?”, “Will temptation set in?”, “Do you have the ability to not let old habits resurface. I believe without structural ability the progress becomes weak and puts you at risk for starting all over again. It is important to maintain the right environment to make all 6 processes successful long term. Personally I am guilty of it, especially me trying to lose weight on and off my entire life, I get tempted to eat unhealthy foods, or I end up with great results. Even when I have achieved results, I tend not to maintain them because I haven’t placed myself in the right environment to support long-term success. I think this is an ongoing learning experience for me as I need to learn to have the right structure and habits I need to be successful.

[Leah]

Katrina, your discussion on Structural influences are so relatable in a personal and work way. When I have a goal in mind and I try to follow the steps to complete my goal but sometimes I will stray away and end up failing. What do I do now that I am back to square 1 so I will try again, maybe get even further than last time then fail again. Recently I found the motivation to go to the gym as well, I went 4 days straight, now that the long weekend hit, gym was closed, busy with family / friend plans, its been 3 days no gym, so I told myself, on Monday I will continue and try not to have a long break in between.

[Adeline]

Personal motivation has a significant impact on influence. Asking yourself questions like, “Can I do this?” and “Is it worth it?” and identifying the steps needed to achieve your goal are all part of a holistic approach that depends on the individual. Recognizing your conflicts and finding ways to resolve them also rely on personal effort.

Focusing on personal interests and motivation, rather than external pressures, is key to achieving a successful outcome. Knowing what you want, addressing the factors that bring you down, and putting in consistent effort every day are all very important. Personal motivation is a powerful influence in life.

[Samantha]

I, like many of my class mates believe that social motivation has the greatest impact. That being said ,I don’t think it alone would work as well. I think that it would always need to be in addition to several of the other sources, depending on the situation and the group. The groups rapport and team work may also play a big part in if social motivation would lead the greatest impact. Overall I believe the social motivation is a very powerful source as humans are social beings and healthcare overall is a very social setting that involves many different personalities, learning styles and overall situational challenges. After reading it truly makes sense why you would want to ensure your using 4 or more sources to achieve success, as its never going to be a one size fits all solution.

[Sarena]

I feel that personal-motivation affects change by helping staff take action even without being told. Motivated staff are more willing to learn new skills, stay positive, and support their coworkers when a change occurs. They focus on improving resident care rather than just completing tasks, which helps the team adapt more quickly and makes transitions smoother for everyone.

[Chantelle]

I think change starts when someone notices something isn’t working and feels motivated to do something about it. It doesn’t just happen, someone has to take the initiative. For me it comes down to action. If no one steps up to start the process, nothing really changes.

[Erin]

For me personal motivation has had the greatest impact when it comes to influence. I always ask myself “why” I want or should do something. If I do a task how will it benefit myself or others around me.

I do however think that like in the video, multiple influences will have a more positive impact because everyone differs on what influences them and there can be a better outcome in the end.

[Leah]

Personal motivation plays a huge influence on every day nursing. Your inner voice or that gut feeling can really determine how your day could possibly play out. I care so much for my residents and team that I know I can’t be perfect but I can do better and motivate myself to do even better for them.

[Jovelisa]

I feel strongly on the personal side of the six sources. I tend or try to make the negative situation into a positive situation, make it a challenge to work hard, to surpass my limits and to get out of my comfort zone. I know, I will experience difficulties along the way but it is a part of learning.

[Shannon]

I believe all 6 sources are important. However social motivation has been seen in my experience as top motivator. I believe staff will listen to another member who may be out spoken, who may bully other staff or show leadership skills. Or may be a strong personality which may influence other staff to accept change. There was recently a change in the point of care on point click care. I noticed staff state they were initially upset about the change or unaware of the change. Then another staff member educated the previous staff member on it and stated just do it its fine you will get us to it.
Both staff members embraced the change and it became status quo and day to day operations going forward.

[Terrinah]

I strongly agree with all 6 sources. For me personal motivation has been the biggest drive throughout my career and studies. motivating my self and my fellow staff is the goal to achieve high quality care. always learning new skills, and support coworkers when a change occurs. personal motivation helps us focus on improving resident care rather than just completing tasks, which helps the team adapt more quickly and makes transitions smoother for everyone.

[Linda]

Personally I thought that video was an adorable representation of the six sources of influence!! LOL
I feel that the video hit the nail in the head. I believe peer motivation is the strongest form of motivation in many scenarios. Especially in a group setting, or in a setting, such as healthcare where you rely on your coworkers so heavily. This change can be then reinforced by the people that you work with, who you trust the most, and who will have your back.
I trust my coworkers. Almost as much as I trust my own opinion, and there is something to be said about wanting to do better for the greater good.

This was a great video. I definitely feel that the social motivation played the the most effective part. Once someone spoke up, and started the ball rolling, the others started joining in, resulting in nearly all of them participating.

[Stephanie]

In our line of work, we know that a “one-size-fits-all” approach just doesn’t cut it when you’re trying to change long-standing behaviours. Whether I’m managing a complex dressing change or implementing a new safety protocol on the floor, the real “aha!” moment is realizing that the greatest impact doesn’t come from just one factor – it’s the integration of all six influences working together.
It’s like a comprehensive care plan: if I only give a resident the motivation to move but don’t ensure they have the physical ability or the right structural equipment (like a properly fitted walker), the plan is going to fail. We have to layer our approach – addressing the personal, social, and structural pieces simultaneously—to create an environment where success isn’t just possible, but inevitable. When we synchronize all six sources, we aren’t just giving a directive; we’re providing a complete support system that actually sticks.

[Evan]

This is a very difficult question because I believe the answer will be different for everyone. What I think is the most important part may not be for the person working beside me. That being said, I believe that structural ability is probably the most important because you can have or give all the motivations in the world but if the items you need aren’t available (like the hand sanitizer example in the video) people are unlikely to go too far out of their way to try and implement the change.

[Nathalia]

This was a great video, because it not only depicted the different sources of influence, but it reminded me that every situation has room for a different influencing factor in our line of work. I personally feel that personal motivation is the greater influence for my decisions. I am constantly checking myself to ensure i have completed my tasks as hand so that i may continue with the next. This applies to both my personal and professional life. I have worked in several places in order to grow my knowledge and understanding of the nursing practice so i may provide optimal support and care to my clients. However, in my current practice as the video showed peer motivation is successful because when i train and motivate my staff to complete the tasks at hand the correct way initially, they understand clients will be satisfied and concerns will be limited to day-to-day practice, instead of having constant concerns because of untrained and unsatisfied staff and clients. Staff are taught from the beginning and are provided with resources to contact when they feel unsure of completing a task. Staff are rewarded and included in the changing processes and implementation which makes them feel valued and in turn they promote positive behaviours execution of tasks to other staff. Social influence plays a huge role in our practice as promoting positive behaviours help our company continue to grow and promote a positive environment.

[Kellie]

First of all, loved the video! In this field I would say that most people are personally motivated. Despite the systems in place, some staff do what they think works best or works for them. But following right on the heels of that is social motivation. Especially when working in large groups or teams, people tend to band together. For me, especially at this stage of my life and career, personal motivation is what takes first place. Do I want extra shifts? Do i want to sit on this committee? Do i want the added responsibilities? What really is my motivation?

[Olaronke]

This was a great video and the perfect way to demonstrate the 6 sources of influence.
Social motivation has always influenced me. I am most influenced by the environment and the people I work with. When there is a positive, collaborative culture, it motivates me to lead by example and stay open to change and to work harder

[Teresa]

They say change is good for you. But others have a difficult time adjusting to change. For me, when a change is presented to me, I tried to adjust myself according to the situation. And I learned this when I started working in healthcare.

[Teresa]

Continuation from my previous post…personal motivation plays a huge part of my everyday life. I personally motivated myself to take a job to an Organization to further and learn new skills, be more confident, being happy again and enjoy being a nurse again. Change fuelled my personal motivation and allowed me to make decisions that benefitted me: my mental health.

[Adella]

As many have already responded “motivation” has a huge impact. People are often motivated in “what’s in it for me?” concepts. I am personally motivated it allows me to set a goal and work towards this goal both personally and professionally. In most cases there is a positive outcome when you have a goal and you are motivated to hit that goal.

[Terrinah]

I enjoyed watching the video. I believe Personal motivation is one of the motivating influences and it has the strongest impact. when we realize as individuals and recognizes our strength we have more impact and influence in society and personal lifes.

[Teresa]

It is always good when we are feeling motivated!

[Deirdre]

After reading and viewing the video, it is very clear that my personal influencer that has an impact on my life and job are a balance of personal motivation and structural ability.
I am guided by my personal motivation to make a happy home and a happy work place for all involved.

Why do I role like this: It’s probably because at this stage in my life I feel like end results and outcomes are gratifying and bring harmony throughout.

I’m not saying it’s easy peasy but it can be done if as a supervisor and parent I can pass on the dream for harmony onto them

[Cheryl]

I feel that all of the tools for influencing change is important. I really enjoyed both the video and the reading as it was two very different but the same examples of real life. People do not do well with change for the most part. I feel the biggest part is to first introduce the change, then remind the change, having people follow the change and take lead is important. Lastly for change to happen I do feel consequences for not following the change are important or people will probably fall back to old habits.

With knowledge and support I feel that is important when you are trying to implement change.

[Author]

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