Per Gallup 85% of employees are disengaged at work. Only 23% of teams perform at high levels. Jane was about to discover why her daily motivation efforts felt like a complete coin toss—and the simple fix that changed everything.
She was at her breaking point. The new software rollout was a high-stakes example, but it only magnified a problem she faced every day: her attempts to motivate her team were not working.
When she talked about exciting future goals, her top performer, Alex, was all in. But Maria, another reliable employee, would get anxious and focus on everything that could go wrong. This dynamic didn’t just appear during big projects; it was present in their weekly check-ins, daily stand-ups, performance reviews, and even simple task assignments. Jane was constantly struggling to get them aligned, and she knew this quiet disconnect was hurting productivity and morale.
Jane’s mistake is one of the most common and invisible barriers to effective leadership and one of the reasons why employees quit. She was using a one-size-fits-all approach to motivation, not realizing her team was fundamentally wired to speak two completely different “motivation languages.”
In my 35 years leading teams across Fortune 500 companies, I’ve seen this exact pattern limit hundreds of managers from reaching their full leadership potential. For leaders who want to improve productivity, boost morale, and retain their best people in every daily interaction, understanding this concept isn’t just helpful—it’s a revelation that transforms average managers into motivation experts.
What Are The Two Hidden Languages of Motivation?
I am about to share with you two simple yet powerful languages of motivation. This isn’t theory—it’s based on well-researched behavioral science techniques that I’ve applied across global organizations to drive everything from daily productivity to major strategic initiatives.
Deep down, every person is primarily motivated in one of two ways:
- Looking for GAIN (The Prize-Seekers): These are your “Alex” types. They are energized by achievement, rewards, and positive possibilities. They get excited about the destination. When you talk about gaining benefits and accomplishing objectives, you are speaking their language.
- Avoiding PAIN (The Problem-Solvers): These are your “Maria” types. They are energized by preventing, solving, and mitigating risks. They are focused on ensuring a safe journey. When you talk about avoiding issues and eliminating frustrations, you capture their attention.
In fact, these techniques were so effective that I built them into the Employee Change Adoption framework at a global organization—helping drive successful enterprise-wide transformation.
Why Understanding Individual Motivation Languages Matters?
Trying to motivate a Problem-Solver with prize-focused language feels reckless. And trying to motivate a Prize-Seeker with problem-focused language feels uninspiring.
The opportunity: Leaders who learn to tailor their communication style and motivate employees based on different personality types see dramatic improvements in team performance, engagement, and retention.
The bottom line: Leaders who master individual motivation languages see measurable improvements in every aspect of daily team management—from routine task assignments to strategic goal achievement.
How to Speak the Right Language With Your Employees in Any Situation?
Once you recognize these two patterns, you can tailor your daily communication and instantly increase your leadership impact. This approach has helped my clients boost team productivity by up to 90% while reducing management friction dramatically.
For your “Looking for Gain” employees, use goal-oriented language:
- Daily Task: “If you can get this done, it will be a huge win for the team’s weekly goal.”
- Feedback: “You achieved a great result on that project.”
- Change Initiative: “This new software will allow us to gain new capabilities.”
For your “Away from Pain” employees, use problem-solving language:
- Daily Task: “Can you handle this? It will help us avoid any delays later.”
- Feedback: “Great job preventing that issue from escalating.”
- Change Initiative: “This new software will eliminate all those frustrating bugs.”
Want more details and a complete decoding system—including the specific words to listen for, the complete scripts for performance reviews, team meetings, and high-stakes situations? Get the full playbook in the ebook “The Motivation Switch.“
How to Decode Your Team’s Motivation Style?
You don’t have to guess. To figure out someone’s primary driver, simply ask them one powerful question in the context of the project:
“Why is this change important to you?”. Then, listen carefully to their answer.
How to Use It to Transform Your Daily Interactions?
When Jane learned this approach during one of my executive workshops, she transformed her entire leadership style. Instead of just applying it to the software project, she started using motivational language in every daily interaction – daily stand-ups, task assignments, and one-on-one meetings with all her employees.
In her next one-on-one with Maria, she didn’t mention the exciting future. Instead, she said, “Maria, I know you’re the best person on this team at spotting potential issues. I need your help to make sure we implement this new software in a way that prevents any disruption to our workflow and eliminates the old system’s problems.”
The transformation was remarkable. Maria became the team’s go-to person for quality assurance and risk management—roles that energized rather than drained her. Alex consistently volunteered for stretch assignments and exceeded expectations. Team productivity increased by 40% within six weeks, daily friction disappeared, and employee satisfaction scores jumped from 65% to 89%.
Jane didn’t just save one project—she became the type of leader who consistently brings out the best in every team member, in every single interaction, every single day.
You don’t need a bigger budget, new training programs, or complex incentive systems for motivating your employees. You just need to learn their individual motivation languages and apply them consistently in every interaction.
What NOT to Say: Red Flags to Avoid
There are specific phrases that will instantly demotivate each type. Here are just a few examples:
Never say to Problem-Solvers: “Think of all the amazing opportunities this will create!”
Never say to Prize-Seekers: “We need to do this to avoid falling behind.”
Your 30-Day Implementation Timeline
Week 1: Identify each team member’s motivation language using the key question. Week 2: Practice reframing your daily communications in both languages
Week 3: Apply targeted language in one-on-ones, task assignments, and feedback sessions Week 4: Roll out motivation-specific messaging in all team interactions—meetings, emails, and casual conversations
Research consistently shows that leaders who improve their communication effectiveness see significant improvements in team performance and employee engagement. The difference is knowing how to speak each person’s unique motivation language in every daily interaction.
Ready to Master Daily Motivation?
Whether you’re struggling with daily team engagement, facing resistance to change, or simply want to become the type of leader who effortlessly motivates every team member, mastering individual motivation languages is your key to consistent leadership success. Also, remember there are some people who may fall inside the continuum and not at the extreme.
My comprehensive guide, “The Motivation Switch,” is packed with questions to ask to determine the motivation language of employees, advanced scripts of phrases that kill motivation—and what to say instead, team-profiling worksheets, and real-world case studies to help you lead any type of employee in any situation—from routine tasks to major transformations.
This motivation language framework is just one of the battle-tested employee motivation strategies in my R.E.A.L. Change Framework™—the same methodology that has helped leaders boost team productivity by up to 90% and driven millions in corporate value for Fortune 500 companies.
About the Author
Kaushik Nag is a senior HR executive with 35 years of proven experience leading teams and driving organizational transformation. Unlike theoretical consultants, he is an Executive Practitioner who has applied these battle-tested, science-driven methodologies to not only guide organizational change but also individuals while living a journey of personal reinvention himself.
His proprietary R.E.A.L. Change Framework™ has helped hundreds of professionals break out of their comfort zones and deliver measurable results for organizations, including Pennymac, Amway, North Highland, Fiserv, and other Fortune 500 companies.
Trusted by leaders across industries, he specializes in turning daily management challenges into leadership advantages through programs that prepare leaders to use pragmatic, science-backed behavioral interventions to get the best out of their employees. Learn more about his executive coaching and organizational change services at www.changeforresults.com.