Q&A on Employee Motivation

I was recently interviewed by Ryan Estis, noted performance and leadership expert, for a post on his blog. Ryan has consulted with some of the top companies in the world and recently keynoted for the Society of Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) national conference. Here is a portion of the interview. Ryan: What is motivation? Jason: … Read more

Coaching Techniques That Motivate

A coaching leader uses many different tools and techniques to help people move toward achieving their goals. I have already shared the 5 techniques I use most often but there are many more. Here are 5 more coaching techniques you can use to coach people toward success. Risk Analysis: When a person is having trouble … Read more

The Art of Challenging Employees

Think about a time when you were challenged by someone to do more or to get better. I would imagine your experience was a lot like mine. Very uncomfortable, yet the experience created awareness that your current level of focus, energy, or behavior was lacking and someone (a teacher, coach, supervisor, parent, spouse, or friend) saw that … Read more

5 Steps to Giving Constructive Feedback

Giving feedback may be one of the most uncomfortable responsibilities of a leader. I have talked to leaders who have admitted to giving as little feedback as possible due to the anxiety this kind of interaction produces. On the flip-side, there are some leaders who do not hesitate to give feedback and often do it … Read more

How to Ask Great Questions

As a coaching leader, the skill of questioning will be one of your most powerful tools. When you listen deeply you are naturally led to ask questions that help people clarify their goals and discover their direction. Of the 5 key coaching skills, questioning may be the most difficult to master. I’ve met very few … Read more

4 Ways to Listen Like A Coach

The skill of listening is the foundation of being an effective coach. If you don’t listen, you don’t have anything to work with as a coach. Listening is truly the beginning point. I have conducted dozens of coach training workshops and the feedback I get from participants is that they thought they knew all there … Read more

The GOAL Coaching Model

Many leaders think they are coaching when they are really just having a nice chat. True coaching occurs when the leader challenges a person to identify and take action to reach a specific goal. Great leaders look for the coachable moments — those moments when learning can occur and motivation can be instilled. It’s where … Read more

Become a Coaching Leader

Coaching is no longer a word reserved for sports. The service and skill of coaching has flourished over the past decade as a proven process for helping a person gain self-awareness, overcome challenges, and accelerate achievement of goals. Since completing my certification to be an executive coach, I have coached more than 100 leaders across a dozen … Read more

28 Days to a Motivated Team – Book Release

As a manager and leader of people, one of your most important roles is that of a motivator. Having smart, skilled, and engaged employees isn’t enough to build a high performing team. You must create an environment that supports and accelerates the energy  and drive of each employee toward mutual team goals. In my new book, I share … Read more

The 7 Deadly Demotivators

A person’s quality of motivation is greatly influenced by his/her current emotional state. This doesn’t discount the cognitive processing that is required for goal-directed action. In fact, this cognitive processing is what often produces a perception that creates a highly emotional response that either hinders or supports action. I have observed 7 emotional responses that produce amotivation — the term … Read more