McGinn Reading Summary

In his 2017 article The Science of Pep Talks, Daniel McGinn discusses the value of motivational pep talk inspiring employees to improve their performance and achieve organizational goals. Bosses use pep talk to inspire, lead, and ensure high performance. However, the skill of motivational talk is not taught at school. Managers typically acquire this skill by mimicking other bosses, coaches, or business leaders.

Although there seems to be no research to this effect, the author argues that there is science to motivating people in institutional settings. Based on his interviews with academics and practitioners, the author discovered three key elements to successful motivation: direction giving, expressions of empathy, and meaning making.

Direction giving is based on the use of language that helps reduce uncertainty by providing clear instructions, formulating tasks in understandable terms, and providing evaluation criteria. When expressing empathy, managers must show concern for employees, encourage them, and acknowledge their performance. In order to make meaning, managers align the organization’s goals with the personal goals of the employees and show how their work helps makes difference in the community.

According to the author, all three elements are typically used in motivational pep talks, but their exact mix can vary depending on the organization. Thus, managers of medical institutions may not need to use emphatic language all that much because their employees are more likely to already share the institution’s mission and goals. A manager at a fast food restaurant, on the other hand, may need to use more emphatic language given the institution’s line of business.

McGinn argues that while it is not quite clear in what way the three elements impact the performance of the pep talk audience, it is almost a scientific fact that a manager’s motivational speech that includes the right mix of direction giving, expressions of empathy, and meaning making helps the employees understand where they stand, where they need to go, and what they are capable of. More importantly, a successful motivational speech helps the audience realize that they have the power to control their performance and, therefore, their professional, academic, or personal growth.