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?
- Doubt - they prefer a "wait and see" approach
- Feeling overwhelmed - they prefer conserving energy
- Fear of failure - they prefer avoiding the risk
- 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
- Empathy - let the person know you understand their challenge and appreciate how they're feeling
- Direction - specific, clear advice on what to do next
- 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
- "Because" - preface your reason to act with the word "because" see "Because hack"
- Keep it simple - use simple sentences and pauses Ex. "I know you're frustrated" (Empathy) "I get where you're coming from."
- Get the tone right - It’s not just what you say, but how you say it
- 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
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