HEADLINES   

• Pep-talks are often used during burnout interventions and clarity checks 
• A pep-talk is a motivational technique 
• Pep-talks are the most common and visible form of leadership
• Experienced leaders have pep-talk habits 
• Pep-talks are not "rah-rah speeches"!
• Pep-talks have 3 potential outcomes and 2 are bad😮
• There are three essential elements to a pep-talk  

Motivation is a reason to act. If you're giving a pep-talk it must feature a reason to act!  

Pep-talks are the most visible form of leadership because they require personal interaction with your employee or team. 

"Rah-rah" speeches feature encouragement and optimism. The problem w/rah-rah speeches is that they give sugar-highs. Employees experience a momentary burst of energy that quickly wears off!

Pep-talks have 2 unintended consequences. They can a.) provide a sugar highs, or b.) confirm a negative perception the employee has of you.  

4 MOTIVATION KILLERS 

REMEMBER - motivation is simply a reason to act.  Sometimes the reason NOT to act outweighs the reasons TO act. So, what causes employees to lose their reason to act? 

1. Doubt - they prefer a "wait and see" approach 
2. Feeling overwhelmed - they prefer conserving energy 
3. Fear of failure - they prefer avoiding the risk
4. Lost confidence - they figure, "what's the point?"

COACHING POINT - burnout is the opposite of engagement. Prolonged exposure to stress causes burnout. Burnout provides all the reason people need NOT to act. 

3 INGREDIENTS OF A PEP-TALK

1. Empathy - let the person know you understand their challenge and appreciate how they're feeling
2. Direction - specific, clear advice on what to do next
3. Motivation - one good reason to act on your advice 

COACHING POINT - a pep-talk w/out motivation (a reason to act) is like a joke w/out a punchline. You let people down. You waste their time and your time. In fact, pep-talks and jokes have a lot in common!

• Given to groups & individuals - audiences vary 
• They're easy to dread - some won't want to hear them
• Delivery is everything - they take skill to pull off 
• Audiences don't always "get it" - its easy to lose people along the way  
• They can backfire - they can be taken the wrong way 
• Each are evaluated - people judge your jokes & pep-talks
• Your reputation precedes you - people know what to expect before you even open your mouth! 

COACHING POINT - good pep-talks, like good jokes, get repeated. 😀

PEP-TALK BEST PRACTICES  

• When possible, prepare in advance 
• Avoid superficial pep-talks at all costs 
• The 3 key ingredients can be delivered in any order
• Empathy is a good way to start because it creates interest in what you have to say next
• Less is more - the more concise the pep-talk the better 
• Develop a formula that works for you - ex. General McChrystal formula 
• Practice by giving self pep-talks 

There are different types of pep-talks, but they all require the same 3 ingredients. 

PRACTICE TIPS  

1. "Because" - preface your reason to act with the word "because" see "Because hack" 
2. Keep it simple - use simple sentences and pauses Ex. "I know you're frustrated" (Empathy) "I get where you're coming from." 
3. Get the tone right - It’s not just what you say, but how you say it 
4. Use non-verbal queues - Ex. a confident smile will explaining your reason to act

HOW TO EVALUATE YOUR PEP-TALK

Remember - a pep-talk is a motivational technique. You're attempting to motivate the employee to behave in a certain way. If the employee embraces your reasoning and responds accordingly, your pep-talk worked. more