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CHAPTER 10
Motivation and Coaching Skills
The purpose of this chapter is to provide the reader with specific ideas for motivating and coaching
group members. A leader is supposed to be able to inspire people. Nevertheless, influencing others
through specific motivation techniques and coaching is also necessary. Instead of this being a chapter
about motivation theories in general, we focus on several approaches to motivation that can readily be
converted into leadership skills.
CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES
Effective leaders are outstanding motivators and coaches. Motivation and coaching techniques are
important because not all leaders can influence others through formal authority or charisma and
inspirational leadership alone. Face-to-face, day-by-day motivational skills are also important.
I. LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
A broad purpose of leaders applying motivation and coaching technique is to get employees
involved in their work and excited about working for the organization. Engagement is the current
buzz word for the commitment workers make to their employer. The term refers t high levels of
personal investment in the tasks performed on a job. Engagement is reflected in employee
willingness to stay with the firm and go beyond the call of duty.
A study conducted in the Netherlands found that leaders perceived to be transformational had a
positive impact on worker optimism, resulting in in workers experiencing engagement daily. A
study conducted in 142 countries found that about 63 percent of workers are not fully engaged in
engagement. Furthermore, giving mostly negative feedback is better than no feedback or being
ignored.
A human resources consultant says that managers can engage workers by seeing them as whole
people, and having the courageous conversations that will build trust and see what is really going
on.
provide them feedback on the progress they are making with work (as based on diary reports from
workers in many project teams and industries).
II. EXPECTANCY THEORY AND MOTIVATIONAL SKILLS
Expectancy theory incorporates features of other motivation theories and offers the leader many
guidelines for triggering and sustaining constructive effort from group members.
The expectancy theory of motivation is based on the premise that how much effort people
expend depends on how much reward they expect to get in return. The theory assumes that people
choose among alternatives by selecting the one they think they have the best chance of attaining.
Furthermore, they choose the alternative that appears to have the biggest personal payoff.
A. Basic Components of Expectancy Theory
All versions of expectancy theory have three major components.
1. Valence is the worth or attractiveness of an outcome. Each outcome in a work situation
2. Instrumentality is the probability assigned by the individual that performance will
lead to certain outcomes. An outcome is anything that might stem from performance,
3. Expectancy is the probability assigned by the individual that effort will lead to
performing the task correctly. It is also referred to as effort–to-performance expectancy.
If you have high self-efficacy (the confidence in your ability to carry out a specific
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Expectancy theory has many implications for leaders and managers with respect to
motivating others. Some of these implications would also stem from other motivational
theories and would fit good management practice in general.
2. Make the performance level attainable by the individuals being motivated.
4. Make explicit the link between rewards and performance.
6. Analyze what factors work in opposition to the effectiveness of the reward.
8. Understand individual differences in valences.
9. Recognize that when workers are in a positive mood, high valences, instrumentalities,
expectancies are more likely to lead to good performance.
III. GOAL THEORY
Goal setting is a basic process that is directly or indirectly part of all major theories of work
motivation. The core finding of goal theory is as follows: Individuals who are provided with
specific, hard goals perform better than those who are given easy, nonspecific, “do your best”
goals or no goals. At the same time, however, the individual must have sufficient ability, accept
the goal, and receive feedback related to the task.
A. Basic Findings of Goal Theory
Behavior is regulated by values and goals. A goal is what a person is trying to accomplish.
Following are consistent findings from goal theory:
2. Performance generally improves in direct proportion to goal difficulty. Stretch goals
lead to improved organizational effectiveness and professional development. Goals
3. For goals to improve performance, the worker must accept them. (Laboratory
4. Goals are more effective when they are used to evaluate performance.
6. Group goal setting is as important as individual goal setting.
7. A learning-goal orientation (wanting to learn) improves performance more than does a
performing-goal orientation (wanting to look good).
A meta-analysis of 76 different results about the impact of goals on group performance
supported the findings just presented. In addition it was found that egocentric goals aimed at
maximizing individual performance had a negative impact on group performance. Decade-
B. The Importance of How Goals Are Attained and Other Concerns.
A major concern about using goals to motivate performance is that leaders, as well as other
workers, will take unethical and dysfunctional shortcuts to attain their goals. To implement
goal setting without creating dysfunctions, it is therefore essential to specify how the goals
will be attained with a particular focus on ethical behavior. A Wharton School analysis
IV. USING RECOGNITION AND PRIDE TO MOTIVATE OTHERS
Motivating others by giving them recognition and praise can be considered a direct application of
positive reinforcement. Recognition is a strong motivator because it is a normal human need.
Tony Schwartz says nothing influences employees’ engagement as the feeling that they are
genuinely cared for and valued by their leaders. Yet most workers feel that they do not receive
enough recognition.
A. Appealing to the Recognition Need of Others
To appeal to the recognition need of others, identify a meritorious behavior and then
recognize the behavior with an oral, written, or material reward.
Because recognition is low cost or no cost, it has an enormous return on investment in
comparison to a cash bonus. A Dale Carnegie principle of leadership supports recognition:
“…Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.”
B. Appealing to Pride
Giving recognition for a job well done helps satisfy the desire to feel proud. Giving workers
an opportunity to experience pride can be a strong internal motivator yet also grants
III. COACHING AS AN APPROACH TO MOTIVATION
Effective leaders are good coaches, and good coaches are effective motivators. Although high-
level leaders coach less, there is a coaching component at all levels of leadership. A survey
suggests that many managers are falling down by failing to coach, including feedback and
guidance. Coaching is a way of enabling others to act and build on their strengths. Coaching often
increases productivity.
A. Key Characteristics of Coaching
Coaching might be explained as the art of management. The purpose of the coaching
interaction is to help the employee learn from the job in order to his help his or her
B. Fallacies About Coaching
Misperceptions about coaching are relevant to understanding the process.
2. Coaching is mostly about providing new knowledge and skills. (In truth, people often
need more help with underlying habits.)
3. If coaches go beyond giving instruction in knowledge and skills, they are in danger of
5. Coaching has to be done face-to-face. (In truth, telephone and email can be effective
substitutes.)
IVI. COACHING SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES
Coaching skills are important because coaching is a direct way of influencing group members. If
implemented with skill, the following suggestions will improve the chances that coaching will
lead to improved performance.
1. Communicate clear expectations to group members.
3. Give feedback on specific areas that require improvement.
5. Help remove obstacles.
7. Reflect content or meaning.
9. Allow for modeling of desired performance and behavior.
11. Applaud good results.
VI. EXECUTIVE COACHING AND LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS
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Executive coaching is “A one–to-one developmental process formally contracted between a coach
and a management-level client to help achieve goals related to professional development and/or
business performance.” Today, people from a wide variety of backgrounds become executive
coaches, as well as career coaches and life coaches.
A. Specific Forms of Assistance Provided by Executive Coaches
Executive coaches help managers become more effective leaders by helping them in a variety of
ways. A survey of coaches revealed that the three top reasons for hiring them are (a) develop high
potential and facilitate transitions, (b) act as a sounding board, and (c) address derailing behavior.
Six examples of assistance offered by executive coaches are:
• Helping corporate stars attain peak performance, such as discovering that the leader
has untapped creativity and imagination.
• Counseling the leader about weaknesses, such as being too hostile and impatient, that
could interfere with effectiveness.
B. Contributions and Concerns about Executive Coaching
Executive coaching often attains the outcomes already mentioned. A potential drawback of
executive coaching is that advice and suggestions may backfire because they do not fit the culture.
IX. GUIDELINES FOR ACTION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT
The major way goal-setting can backfire as a motivational strategy is when there is not careful
agreement about the ethical means by which the goal will be pursued.
The leader/manager should keep in mind available forms of recognition because recognition can
be such a relatively low cost yet highly effective motivator. For the recognition technique to work
well, it should have high valence for the person or group under consideration. Forms of
recognition include (a) compliments, (b) comradeship with the boss, (c) a pat on the back or
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COMMENTS ON EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES
Leadership Self-Assessment Quiz 10-1: How Meaningful Is My
Work?
This quiz about the meaningfulness of work should be meaningful to many students. If the person
taking the quiz concludes that his or her work is meaningful, may years of job satisfaction lie
Leadership Skill-Building Exercise 10-1: Collecting Live Data on
Worker Engagement
My experience is that an exercise of this nature is inherently interesting to the majority of students.
Students will most likely encounter some caustic comments about workers commitment to their
Leadership Skill-Building Exercise 10-2: Estimating Valences for
Applying Expectancy Theory
Many people have never thought of attempting to quantify the motivational value of rewards and
punishments (or outcomes). As a consequence, this exercise can be thought-provoking. Variability in
Leadership Skill-Building Exercise 10-3: The Application of Goal
Theory
This modest exercise in goal theory gives students an opportunity to implement one of the leader/
manager’s most important tasks—helping group members establish effective goals. The most
Leadership Self-Assessment Quiz 10-2: How Much Do I Crave
Recognition?
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Leadership Self-Assessment Quiz 10-3: Characteristics of an
Effective Coach
An important purpose of this activity is to emphasize the importance of having the right characteristics
to be an effective coach. Some students will recognize the importance of developing certain personal
characteristics in order to become an effective coach.
Leadership Skill-Building Exercise 10-4: Coaching for Improved
Performance
Leadership Skill-Building Exercise 10-5: My Leadership Portfolio
This portfolio entry should prove quite useful for many students because so many people have
not yet developed the skill of giving recognition and praise. A major part of being a good
coach and motivator is to learn the4 art of recognition. The same skill will likely add to the
student’s charisma.
Leadership Skill-Building Exercise 10-6: Position Paper on
COMMENTS ON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Why do many people think that motivation is the most important part of a leader’s job?
2. Why should a leader be concerned about employee engagement when almost all of his or her
direct reports are corporate professionals?
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The purpose of answering this question is to raise awareness that there is not a one-to-one
relationship between engagement and job level. Workers at any level can feel unengaged, such
3. To what extent would the amount of financial compensation you receive in a position influence
your level of engagement?
4. Identify several outcomes you expect from occupying a leadership position. What valences do you
attach to them?
The discussion in Chapter 1 about the satisfactions and frustrations of being a leader might help
jog the student’s thinking about both positive and negative outcomes associated with being a
5. How can the influence exercised by a charismatic leader tie in with expectancy theory?
6. What is an example of a noble cause a leader at Chipotle might use to motivate a store manager?
What about a noble cause for the plant manager of a division that manufactures paperclips?
A noble cause for Chipotle is providing happiness to millions in the form of delicious, low-price
food they can enjoy with friends, family, and even alone. A noble cause for the paperclip plant
7. In what way might giving members of the group frequent recognition contribute to a leader being
perceived as charismatic?
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8. For purposes of recognition, many companies give out watches, clocks, and sports shirts with a
company logo embedded. What do you think of the effectiveness of this form of recognition?
For a small segment of the workforce the standard recognition fare of watches, clocks, and shirts
with a company logo embedded would be effective. Such individuals would be proud of this form
9. Imagine that you have a couple of extra-high performers reporting to you who are carrying out all
their job responsibilities in a superior manner. What kind of coaching might you conduct with
these people?
10. Ask a manager to describe the amount of coaching that he or she does on the job. Be prepared to
bring your findings back to class.
Managers will probably report a heavy incidence of coaching because managers realize that they
PLAUSIBLE RESPONSES TO CASE QUESTIONS
Leadership Case Problem A: We Need More Engagement Around
Here
Unlike the other case problems presented in this book, here is an opportunity to think about what
actions a leader should take based on quantitative evidence.
1. How bad is employee emloyee motivation and engagement as revealed by the exhibit?
A challenge in answering this question is that the leader lacks comparison data, such as
industry average responses. However, on an absolute level, a few problems can be detected.
2. What actions can management take to increased motivation and engagement?
3. To what extent might employees at this HMO not perceive their work to be meaningful?
The responses to Question 10 suggest that only 48 percent of workers at the HMO work
serves an important purpose, thereby suggesting the work is not very meaningful. It would
Leadership Case Problem B: Tyler Faces a Feedback Challenge
This case illustrate how feedback and coaching are sometimes required for activites that relate more to
personal behavior than to job performance.
1. Are the reported incidents in relation to Gus even worth the attention of a COO?
2. If you think the case describes a problem worthy of his attenton, how should Tyler coach Gus
about the reported incidents in this case?
Given that Tyler has not observed these incidents personally, he might mention that he
wants to talk about some perceptions of Gus’s behavior that he has heard. If Gus shows
3. What opening line do you recommend for Tyler if he does hold a coaching session with
Gus about the incidents reported in this case?
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Certainly this scenario will not be easy for Tyler because he has already expressed concern
about the feedback session. ow about this opening line? “Gus, we need to talk about a few
matters that relate to your job behavior, but not your job performance.”