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- The Parliament Vol. 2, No. 26
The Parliament Vol. 2, No. 26
Who Kind of Recognition Motivates You?
Thomas Greek
July 25, 2025
COACHING PROMPT OF THE WEEK
“What Kind of Recognition Motivates You?”
This is a simple, respectful, and incredibly powerful coaching question to help build trust and empower your team members. This question honors the individual and acknowledges that motivation is deeply personal.
It’s a terrific question to ask when onboarding a new team member, during performance discussions, and when they’ve reached a major milestone.
The answer to this question reveals what truly drives a person beneath the surface.
A leader who coaches can listen for two types of motivators: Extrinsic rewards ("a bonus," "a promotion," "a gift card,") or an Intrinsic reward (e.g., personal growth, satisfaction for a job well-done), or some combination of the two.
Here are some terrific follow-up questions you might ask:
Can you tell me about a time in your career when you felt perfectly recognized?
When you receive that kind of recognition, what does it mean to you?
What makes this kind of recognition so important to you?
Remember that coaching isn’t telling!
Coaching is about staying curious and making space for those in our care to become confident authors of their own stories.
We can all be experts at getting in the way of our own success!
It starts with a tinge of self-doubt.
Then we catastrophize.
And inevitably that negative thought we let fester starts coming up again and again.
Many times, these self-perceptions can become ingrained - even become part of the story we tell ourselves and the rest of the world about who we are.
But there's a better way.
What if you could learn to more quickly recognize when those inner saboteurs are coming out to play so you can get back to what's most important to you?
Who might you become?
Want to sharpen your coaching skills, join us in the Leaders as Coaches Online program and watch your team – and your leadership – transform. www.ThomasGreekCoaching.com
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"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." — Winston Churchill
I think the first part, standing up and speaking, is the kind of courage most people think about.
For me, the less celebrated, more introspective form of courage is all about listening.
It's the bravery of humility. The courage of “not knowing.”
This kind of courage is often overlooked, and as a leader who’s often extroverted, I have to remind myself that the brave thing to do in a situation might be to sit back and listen closely.
Of course, the truly courageous leader knows when to do which. They have the discernment to know when the moment calls for a bold declaration and when it calls for quiet, deep listening.
How has listening more closely helped you feel more courageous?
Thanks and Be Well!
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Check it out below!
