In this episode, executive coach and senior writer Albert Wolfe and senior coach J.D. Whitney tackle the second step of the EMMA model (Expectations, Motivations, Measurements, Accountability): motivations. They open with a striking stat from their own client data: when people are asked how many of their own top five motivators their direct supervisor actually knows, the average answer is two. Albert and JD trade stories, from a family reading-time experiment at home to a senior AI engineer whose real ask wasn't more money but "a bigger puzzle," to show just how individualized motivation really is.

The conversation covers why pay and promotion function as hygiene factors rather than true motivators (they can drive someone to leave, but they won't drive someone to perform), how to run a real motivations conversation using Adaptive Leaders' free assessment and conversation map, and how Curiosity, Courage, and Care can help any leader get past the fear of asking and start closing the motivations gap on their team.

Try the Performance Leadership Studio: https://studio.adaptiveleaders.com/

Take the free Work Motivations Profile: https://assessment.adaptiveleaders.com/motivational-diagnostic/?lang=en&type=SINGLE_MOTIVATIONAL_DIAGNOSTIC

Music: "Majestic Sky" by Roman Dudchyk via Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/music/modern-classical-majestic-sky-medium-2-361091/