Ian Bessell, Brad Dicks, Allen Wysocki, Karl Kepner, Derek Farnsworth, and Jennifer L. Clark2

Motivation is an important tool that is often under-utilized by managers in today's workplace. Managers use motivation in the workplace to inspire people to work individually or in groups to produce the best results for business in the most efficient and effective manner. Each individual has his own set of motivating forces, so it is the duty of the manager to carefully identify and address these motivating forces. The aim of this article is to help managers become more effective at creating a positive motivational environment.

Managers may lack knowledge in implementing successful motivational programs that increase production and create a positive work environment. Although there are many types of motivation, management must identify with their employees (associates) on an individual level for successful programs. The goal of every manager is to increase production and efficiency to reach maximum results for the organization. Motivation for better performance depends on job satisfaction, achievement, recognition, and professional growth (Boyett and Boyett 2000). Providing a positive motivational work environment is a challenging managerial activity.

It is important to create a welcoming work environment to motivate associates. People tend to do their best work when they are in a work environment that makes them feel valued, where they get a pat on the back or a thank you for a job well done. These courtesies may seem simple, but managers sometimes forget to utilize them. Simple courtesies can go a long way in improving the work environment.

There are several factors managers should keep in mind when considering how to recognize and reward associates. Managers should not assume that people feel valued just because they are productive, nor that what works for the manager in terms of recognition and reward will work for others. The "platinum rule" of managers creating rapport with associates is an important motivational tool.

A study by Kovach (1999) compared associates rankings of what they most wanted from their jobs with what management thought associates wanted most. The results of the study were somewhat surprising. While management thought associates would list good wages as most important, interesting work was ranked most important by associates

Motivating people can be challenging because associates are individuals, meaning that what works for one may not work for another. Managers must be able to communicate with associates. According to Kovach (1999), managers sometimes disregard the most important motivational techniques. While monetary incentives are important, sometimes non-monetary incentives are the better choice.

Two key managerial points emerge from Kovachs suravaey (1999). First, non-monetary incentives for associates often can be easily addressed by their supervisors and are relatively inexpensive to implement (Table 1). This is in sharp contrast to wages, job security, and promotion, which are usually under the control of top-level managers. Second, it is important for managers to consider career development incentives for associates when thinking about rewards and recognition.

Associate movtivation survey results

Associates' Ranking

Items

Employers' Ranking

1

Interesting work

5

2

Appreciation of work

8

3

Feeling "in on things"

10

4

Job security

2

5

Good wages

1

6

Promotion/growth

3

7

Good working conditions

4

8

Personal loyalty

6

9

Tactful discipline

7

10

Sympathetic help with problems

9

Source: Kovach (1999).

One easily overlooked and important factor is attitude. If managers approach the workplace with a positive, upbeat attitude about work projects, that enthusiasm should transfer to associates, thus creating a better work environment for all. Managers, who are serious about maintaining a productive work environment and motivating associates to do their best, need to talk with the associates to find out what is important to them (Howell 2000). Some associates prefer public recognition, while others prefer private recognition. It is the responsibility of management to know which works best with their associates on an individual basis

When trying to understand associates, managers must consider the fact that the career status of associates will vary. Associates nearing the end of their careers might appreciate being given mentoring responsibilities or more control of their work environment, while associates beginning their careers might appreciate flexible scheduling options and professional development opportunities. According to Kovac (1999), managers should ask themselves the following questions when attempting to provide a more positive motivational climate for associates:

Do you personally thank associates for a job well done?

Is feedback timely and specific?

Do you make time to discuss associates jobs on a regular basis?

Is your workplace open, trusting, and fun?

Do you encourage and reward initiative and new ideas?

Do you share company information with associates on a regular basis?

Do you involve associates in decisions, especially those that will affect them?

Do you provide associates with a sense of ownership of their jobs?

Do you give associates the chance to succeed?

Do you reward associates based on their work performance?

Motivation can be properly or improperly achieved and can either hinder or improve productivity. Management must understand that they are dealing with human beings, not machines, and that motivation involves getting people to do something because they want to do it. This cannot be achieved without knowing what is important to associates. Management must use the proper incentives to achieve the desired results. Simply stated, if the proper motivational environment is in place, managers will be rewarded with productive associates.

Boyett, H.J., and J.T. Boyett. 2000. "World-class advice on managing and motivating people." http://www.jboyett.com/managing1.htm.

Howell, H. 2000. "Motivating and appreciating your staff." http://v-p-c.com/catanzaro/mgtinfo/newsletter/spring2000/motivat.htm.

Kovach, K. 1999. Employee Motivation: Addressing a Crucial Factor in Your Organization's Performance. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.

Read more:
HR017/HR017: Understanding Motivation: An Effective Tool ...

Explanations > Motivations

Internal systems |Content theories | Process theories | So what?

There are many systems and theories of motivation (for example see 'see also' below). But what if we look deeper? What are the internal structures that lead to us acting (as opposed, perhaps, to not acting). Here key systems:

Content theories of motivation define it in terms of satisfaction of needs.

Process theories of motivation define in terms of a rational cognitive process.

And here are more articles and other points of note about motivation.

So if you want to motivate people, understand the systems by which they are motivated! If you can get your head around the fundamental systems, you will not need to learn hundreds of outer-level methods.

It also, by the way, a very good idea to keep an eye on what is happening at this level, no matter what you are doing. For example, if you are presenting to a wider audience, are you playing to their needs and goals? can you see the emotion on their faces?

And of course watch them in yourself. If you believe, for example, that you are superior to other people, then you will end up acting this way. A little bit of authority helps, of course, but it is easy to over do this and come over as arrogant and uncaring, which is not the best way of persuading people.

Cognitive Evolution Theory,Expectancy Theory, Extrinsic Motivation,Equity Theory,Goal-Setting Theory, Intrinsic Motivation,Evolution,Happiness as a motivator, Ways to Happiness, Embodied Persuasion

Blogs by subject: Motivation

See the article here:
Motivation - Changing minds

iStockphotoguvendemir

How motivated are you to reach your goals?

Are you motivated to achieve what you really want in life?

And how hard do you push yourself to get things done?

Wanting to do something and motivating yourself to actually do it are two different things.

So, what's the difference between those who never reach their goals, year after year, and those who achieve one goal after another? Often, it's their self-motivation.

Self-motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to go on it's our internal drive to achieve, produce, develop, and keep moving forward. When you think you're ready to quit something, or you just don't know how to start, your self-motivation is what pushes you to go on.

With self-motivation, you'll learn and grow regardless of the specific situation. That's why it's such a fundamental tool for reaching your goals, achieving your dreams, and succeeding, in this journey we call life.

So, how self-motivated are you? We've put together a short quiz to give you a better understanding of how self-motivated you are. After the quiz, we'll discuss some specific tips for improving your self-motivation, so that you can achieve still more in your life.

For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes you. Please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you should be), and don't worry if some questions seem to score in the 'wrong direction'. When you are finished, please click the 'Calculate My Total' button at the bottom of the test.

You last completed this quiz on , at .

Reset Your Score

Total = 0

You allow your personal doubts and fears to keep you from succeeding. You've probably had a few incomplete goals in the past, so you may have convinced yourself that you aren't self-motivated - and then you've made that come true. Break this harmful pattern now, and start believing in yourself again. The tools and tipsbelowwill help you get back your motivation.

You're doing OK on self-motivation. You're certainly not failing - however, you could achieve much more. To achieve what you want, try to increase the motivation factors in all areas of your life. Read the relevant sectionsbelow, and work on them to strengthen your self-motivation.

Wonderful! You get things done, and you don't let anything stand in your way. You make a conscious effort to stay self-motivated, and you spend significant time and effort on setting goals and acting to achieve those goals. You attract and inspire others with your success. Treasure this - and be aware that not everyone is as self-motivated as you are! (Readbelowfor more.)

Self-motivation is complex. It's linked to your level of initiative in setting challenging goals for yourself; your belief that you have the skills and abilities needed to achieve those goals; and your expectation that if you put in enough hard work, you will succeed (or at least be in the running, if it's a competitive situation).

Four factors are necessary to build the strongest levels of self-motivation:

By working on all of these together, you should quickly improve your self-motivation. Let's look at each of these factors individually.

(Questions 1, 2, 6, 8)

Part of being self-motivated is having good levels of self-assurance, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. More on these below!

Being highlyself-assuredmeans you will set challenging goals for yourself, and it's also a resiliency factor for when you encounter setbacks. If you don't believe in yourself you'll be much more likely to think, "I knew I couldn't do this"instead of, "This one failure isn't going to stop me!"

Albert Bandura, a psychologist from Stanford University, definedself-efficacyas a belief in our own ability to succeed, and our ability to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. This belief has a huge impact on your approach to goal setting and your behavioral choices as you work toward those goals.

According to Bandura's research, high self-efficacy results in an ability to view difficult goals as a challenge, whereas people with low self-efficacy would likely view the same goals as being beyond their abilities, and might not even attempt to achieve them.

It also contributes to how much effort a person puts into a goal in the first place, and how much he or she perseveres despite setbacks.

By developing a general level ofself-confidencein yourself, you will not only believe you can succeed, but you'll also recognize and enjoy the successes you've already had. That, in turn, will inspire you to build on those successes. The momentum created by self-confidence is hard to beat.

Take these steps:

As you begin to recognize how much you've already achieved and understand how much potential you have you will have the confidence to set goals and achieve the things you desire. The more you look for reasons to believe in yourself, the easier it will be to find ways to motivate yourself.

Our article onBuilding Self-Confidence teaches you how to develop this self-confidence, and gives you steps you can use to start feeling great about yourself. It will also put you firmly on the path to self-assurance and self-efficacy.

(Questions 4, 9, 11, 12)

Positive thinking is closely related to self-confidence as a factor in self-motivation. It's important to look at things positively, especially when things aren't going as planned and you're ready to give up.

If you think that things are going to go wrong or that you won't succeed, this may influence things in such a way that your predictions will come true. This is particularly the case if you need to work hard to achieve success, or if you need to persuade others to support you in order to succeed. Your thoughts can have a major influence on whether you succeed or fail, so make sure those thoughts are "on your side."

Positive thinking also helps you think about an attractive future that you want to realize. When you expect positive results, your choices will be more positive, and you'll be less likely to leave outcomes to fate or chance. Having a vivid picture of success, combined with positive thinking, helps you bridge the gap between wanting something and going out to get it.

To apply "the power of positive thinking", do the following:

(Questions 3, 7)

As we've said above, a key part of building self-motivation is to start setting strong goals. These give you focus, a clear sense of direction, and the self-confidence that comes from recognizing your own achievement.

First, determine your direction through effective goal setting.

When you set a goal, you make a promise to yourself. Part of the strength of this is that it gives you a clear direction. Part is that you've made this promise to yourself, and you'll want to keep this promise. And part is that it's a challenge, and it's fun to try to meet that challenge!

But don't set just any goal. According toLocke's goal-setting theory , your goal should have the following characteristics:

When you have a variety of goals, be sure to schedule your time and resources effectively. You can achieve the "focus"part of self-motivation by prioritizing and establishing a schedule that will help you succeed. It doesn't make sense to work until you're exhausted or give up one goal to achieve another.

Using tools like Eisenhower's Urgent/Important Principle and the Action Priority Matrix , you can quickly and easily see how each goal activity fits into the bigger picture of your overall objectives. If you fully understand your priorities, you probably won't feel as pressured to do everything at once. This can reduce stress and help you to concentrate on the most important strategies.

See our article onPrioritization for a summary, and for links to our top time management and prioritization tools.

(Questions 5, 10)

The final thing to focus on is surrounding yourself with people and resources that will remind you of your goals, and help you with your internal motivation. These are external factors they'll help you get motivated from the outside, which is different from the internal motivation we've discussed so far. However, the more factors you have working for you, the better.

You can't just rely on these "environmental"or outside elements alone to motivate you, but you can use them for extra support. Try the following:

When you start your self-motivation program, you may tend to rely heavily on these external factors. As you get more comfortable and confident with your self-motivation, you'll probably use them only as needed, and for a little extra help.

Self-motivation doesn't come naturally to everyone. And even those who are highly self-motivated need some extra help every now and then.

Build your self-motivation by practicing goal-setting skills, and combining those with positive thinking, the creation of powerful visions of success, and the building of high levels of self-efficacy and self-confidence.

Your attitude and beliefs about your likelihood of success can predict whether or not you actually succeed. Set goals, and work hard to achieve them. Examine ways to improve your self-motivation, and regularly reassess your motivation levels. If you actively keep your internal motivation high, you can significantly increase the likelihood of achieving your hopes, dreams, and visions of the future.

Go here to see the original:
Self-Motivation Quiz - Goal Setting Tools from MindTools.com

The world No. 9 beat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to book her place in the quarter-finals at the 2017 US Open.

Williams, 37, has now taken her record in majors to 19-3 this year with her win over the Spaniard.

And when asked about her longevity and what motivates her to succeed, she put it down to her sister Serena and the rest of her family.

Serena said: I dont know. If I did I would put it in a box and sell it.

I love the game and youve got to have health, fitness, skill, desire and the love.

My sister motivates me a lot and my family too.

She also gave some fighting talk after reaching her 39th career quarter-final by insisting she he is here to take the US Open title.

For me Im focused on myself and try to be aggressive as possible, Williams added.

Nobody ever gives you a Slam, youve got to take it - so Im going to try and take it.

Up next for the American at Flushing Meadows is a clash with either Garbine Muguruza or Petra Kvitova.

Follow this link:
US Open 2017: Venus Williams puts motivation down to Serena ... - Express.co.uk

Its the voice in your head that that tells you to push through past seemingly impossible fatigue on the gridiron. Its the thought that keeps your motor running at a supreme level on the hardwood.

Its getting your parents that new house, its retiring your grandmother, its, simply, never wanting to be picked last again.

Motivating factors in sports range from the simple to the simply inconceivable; but theyre all necessary factors in the production of elite talent.

Every Monday well catch up with elite athletes on all levels and get them to dish on the single most powerful motivating factor thats gotten them to where they are now.

Today we caught up with New Albanys (New Albany, Ind.) Romeo Langford, the No. 1 shooting guard in the ESPN 100.

The greatest motivating factor thats gotten me to where I am today isThinking about the outcome of what could happen if I continue to work hard. My ultimate goal is to make it to the NBA and when Im in the gym and in games I just try and focus on working harder. Every play, every possession, every rep I just try and go harder because I know that pushing it more and more will put me in the best position to accomplish my goal one day.

Here are the fruits of Romeo Langfords motivation.

Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter:@JayJayUSATODAY

See the article here:
Motivation Monday: Five-star SG Romeo Langford dishes on what fuels his fire - USA TODAY High School Sports

Press Release

A recent study indicated that financial rewards are not enough to encourage people to perform certain tasks

In a report conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, they discovered that despite receiving an Amazon gift card, customers were not sufficiently motivated to visit the gym any more.

Researchers divided 800 new members of a gym into four groups. The first group received a $30 Amazon gift card after six weeks, unconditionally. The second, third and fourth groups were rewarded for going to the gym at least nine times in the first six weeks of membership (with a $30 amazon gift card, a $60 amazon gift card and an item of their choosing from Amazon worth about $30, respectively). In the first six weeks, those promised rewards made just 0.14 more visits to the gym on average than the group who did not receive a reward.

About Roar Ambition: http://www.roar-ambition.co.uk/about-us/

The Roar Ambition workforce has been investigating these findings, most recently studying the results on the effect of financial incentives on motivation recall; an observation from Dan Arielys 2016 book Payoff. Ariely argued that financial incentives are not the sole source of inspiring motivation in people. Instead, a study conducted by Ariely and colleagues found workers who received compliments from their boss performed much better than those who received financial bonuses. The result, Ariely suggests, indicate intrinsic motivation is much more powerful than cash incentives. With this in mind, the Liverpool based firm recognise integral rewards provide far greater motivation when completing an activity, than being paid to do would.

The report suggests that it would be a rather difficult task to push someone into regularly exercising. Especially, if an individual found working out to be an intolerable, gruelling experience. In response to the results of the study, Roar Ambition have shared their conclusion that if someones heart is not in what that they do, it would be unlikely for them to succeed. The motivation necessary to perform a task more regularly and successfully must come from an intrinsic motivation or desire to do so, says the sales and marketing collective.

Roar Ambition understands that in the world of business, intrinsic motivation is a much more powerful and meaningful tool. The firm believe by offering a companys workforce this form of motivation, members of the workforce will be better at boosting one anothers morale and desire for meeting company targets. By creating a team and an environment team members appreciate, a company will reap the benefits by gaining a set of individuals who are passionate and enthusiastic about the industry.

Based in Liverpool, Roar Ambition aims to be king of the sales world like the lion is the apex at the very top of the food chain. By combining motivation, determination and ambition, Roar Ambition will stop at nothing to achieve their goal to become the top tier of their industry. As sales is an extremely competitive industry, Roar ambition aims to become the number one choice for outsourced sales in the UK through the unique direct marketing campaigns offered at the firm, personalised to suit the individual needs of both the client and the consumer.

To find out more, visit http://www.roar-ambition.co.uk/

Source: http://uk.businessinsider.com/money-doesnt-motivate-people-to-work-out-2017-8?IR=T&r=US

For more information Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook

Original post:
Roar Ambition investigate the power of intrinsic motivation - Journalism.co.uk

Miami has come up with an interesting way toincentivize players to force turnovers.

Hurricanes defensive coordinator Manny Diaz introduced a turnover chain to his players on Saturday before the Bethune-Cookman game, according to a report from 247 Sports.

He told us this morning about the turnover chain,linebackerShaquille Quartermansaid after the game. It goes to whoever gets the turnover. You get to rock that huge Miami-style chain it was just another incentive.

The chain apparently made its first appearance in fourth quarter when sophomore corner Malek Young intercepted a pass.

We didnt really need much, Quarterman said. But that was definitely an incentive. Seeing Malek get it was amazing because we all wanted to know who was going to be the first guy to get it. Malek did his thing and he earned it, so congrats to him.

Miami ranked fifth in the ACC in fumbles recovered in 2016 and 13th in interceptions.

Ryan Finesended the game with the chain after recovering a fumble on Bethune-Cookmans last drive, the report stated.

Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports and The Oak Ridger.

See original here:
LOOK: Miami has a ridiculous 'Turnover Chain' for motivation - Saturday Down South

You get up in the morning, and start getting ready for your day. For some, the first order of business is going to the gym, for some its taking an hour of time to themselves, for others its heading straight to work. Regardless we all have motivators that get us up and at it every morning.

What is your reason? Your reason for picking the first thing you do? For deciding whether to go right to work or to hit the snooze button? It could be anything, some deep value you hold to, or as simple as you need to make money to be able to live. No matter your answer, we all have something that gets us going, and when it comes to motivation there are tons of different places we can find it. So today were going to look at a few different types of motivation and how they play a role in our development in life and fitness.

Have you ever gone out with friends and decided when getting ready that you were going to dress up a little? At first you feel a little uneasy, until you get out of the car and one of your friends immediately says how good you look or how much they like your attire. All the sudden you stand up a little taller and walk more confident because someone else affirmed your decision to dress up. Or maybe, in the context of fitness, you have been working really hard on your diet and are seeing the benefits of consistent exercise and clean eating. Youve lost 10-15lbs and people are telling you how great you look or how proud they are of your effort. It is easy to be motivated by these compliments and keep pushing ourselves or getting outside our comfort zones to because people are recognizing your efforts or results.

On the flip side, what if you had made all these changes and no one said anything? All the sudden the motivation waxes and wanes or disappears entirely. This would be an example of an external motivator. External motivators are factors that come from other people that affect how we see ourselves, how we pursue things outside our comfort zone, and how we view our progress. Other examples could include, comparing yourself and your efforts or progress with others, or focusing so much on a specific number goal or value.

Now lets take the same examples and frame them a little differently. Youre going out with a group of friends and you know that you feel your best and most confident in a particular pair of pants or shirt. You show up and no one makes any comment about your attire, and you enjoy your evening without ever second guessing what you decided to wear. Or maybe you havent been feeling your best and decide that adding in some clean eating and exercise will help you to not only feel better but to improve your overall health and longevity (both natural side effects of clean eating and exercise). You begin your new diet and exercise regimen, see all the benefits of some weight lost, gained strength, and improved health; all with no acknowledgement or recognition from others. Now while this may seem a little sad, perspective tells us that the latter is actually a more sustainable motivation.

Internal motivation comes purely from an inner desire to be your best self, intense focus on the process of improvement, and on pride in knowing the effort you gave was your absolute best. Other examples could be focusing on improving a process to reach a goal, knowing that your effort will benefit someone else, or from seeing the end result only as a cherry on top and not the whole dessert.

Ill use another example. Lets say you set a very specific squat goal with a definite deadline on when you need to hit that number. 315 by end of year or bust! With the external motivator being the 315 pound squat by December 31st, you set yourself up for either 100% success or 100% failure. Flip that perspective and say, I want to be as strong as I can be and to get there I am going to control all the variables I can, regardless of the number on the end I focus on the process of being consistent and giving my best effort each and every day. The shift in focus improves the longevity of your process and will make it easy to stay motivated for longer.

Internal motivation comes purely from an inner desire to be your best self, intense focus on the process of improvement, and on pride in knowing the effort you gave was your absolute best.

Now I want to be clear, getting compliments from others or setting goals are not bad things. They are in fact good things, when taken with the right perspective. The trick is seeing those things for what they are, finite elements reliant on external factors that we cannot control. If we can maintain our focus on the internal factors we can control, it makes the long processes more enjoyable, more fulfilling, and more realistic for long term improvements.

So where do you lie? What is your motivation? Be honest with yourself. You may need to take a step back and look big picture to see how your response to certain struggles and aspects of life is affected by external objects. Regardless of where youre at right now, stay focused on the process of being the best version of yourself. Thats all you can ask of yourself anyway.

Stay Humble. Stay Hungry.

Visit link:
Internal vs External Motivation - Morning Chalk Up

We all fall out of our workout routines on occasion, and getting back on the train is possible, but there are ways to ensure you will be successful.

Kim Insley, KARE 11:03 AM. CDT September 04, 2017

For many, it could be an injury that derails our fitness plan. It could be a vacation that took you out of your routine just long enough to end a habit you were only just beginning.

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn.-- Summer may have started with the best of intentions. Get outside, walk, run or maybe take up a new sport. Our dreams of finally getting into shape start to turn with the autumn leaves.

For many, it could be an injury that derails our fitness plan. It could be a vacation that took you out of your routine just long enough to end a habit you were only just beginning.

Life Time Fitness trainer Lindsay Ogden works with people at all stages of their fitness journey, and she boils it down to the three C's: Coaching, consistency and community.

Good coaching to determine where you are in your fitness journey and how to begin is a key step to creating a plan that's going to work for you.

Consistency speaks for itself. If you get into a schedule of activity, you are more likely to keep doing it.

Community simply means doing activities with people who can support you, and who are also committed to their own fitness journey. You are more likely to stick with your plan if others are expecting you to be there, and who also benefit from your support.

Ogden spoke about how Life Time's TEAM Burn is a program for people of all fitness levels to come together to encourage each other and learn how to meet their fitness goals. The classes incorporate body weight movements and interval-style cardio.

Ogden showed our KARE 11 Sunrise viewers three moves that are modified for beginners or someone who is coming back from a period of inactivity.

Learn more about TEAM Burn at Life Time Fitness.

2017 KARE-TV

Read more:
Motivation Monday: Getting back on the fitness track - KARE

A man has admitted carrying out the sexually motivated murder of a teenage college student in Greater Manchester.

Mark Buckley, 51, attacked 18-year-old Ellen Higginbottom before taking her laptop and mobile phone and leaving her for dead near a field close to Orrell water park in Wigan.

Higginbottom was reported missing after failing to return home from Winstanley College in Orrell on 16 June. Her body was found the next day. A postmortem examination confirmed she died from multiple neck wounds.

On Monday, Buckley, from Preston, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to the murder at Manchester crown court.

Mark Hayton QC, defending Buckley, asked the judge, David Stockdale QC, to adjourn the case until next week for sentencing.

Neil Fryman, prosecuting, told the court there was a sexual motivation for the murder and that it was premeditated.

David Steele, 47, of Billinge, appeared alongside Buckley charged with perverting the course of justice and handling stolen goods. He was not asked to enter a plea after an application by his lawyer, Brian McKenna. He will next appear in court on 6 October.

Two other defendants, Dean Speakman and his partner, Vicki Calland, both 30 and from Billinge, each pleaded guilty last month to a single charge of perverting the course of justice and handling stolen goods.

Both admitted they handled the mobile phone, laptop and other property belonging to Higginbottom and that they destroyed the property believing she had been murdered.

Stockdale remanded Buckley for sentencing on 14 September; Speakman and Calland will also be dealt with at this hearing.

After her murder, Higginbottoms family paid tribute to the psychology student, who loved animals and enjoyed cooking.

In a statement released at the time, they said Higginbottom had astonishingly reinvigorated her love of learning over the last few months after some difficult times and recalled her beauty, love and kindness.

See the original post:
Man admits sexually motivated murder of Wigan student - The Guardian