HBR Guide to Motivating People (HBR Guide Series)

CHAPTER 14

To Support Learning, Managers Need to Coach

by Monique Valcour

As the previous chapter illustrated, the most powerfully motivating condition people experience at work is making progress at something that is personally meaningful. If your job involves leading others, the implications are clear: the most important thing you can do each day is to help your team members experience this progress.

To do so, you must understand what drives each person, help build connections between each person’s work and the organization’s mission and strategic objectives, provide timely feedback, and help each person learn and grow on an ongoing basis. Regular communication around development—having coaching conversations—is essential. In fact, according ...