LESSON 4: Motivation theory and performance management.

Lesson Overview: This lesson will educate learners on the concept of motivation theory and its
impact on a leader's attempts to manage employee performance. The lesson will distinguish
between the most applicable theorems in the workplace, including Herzberg's, McGregor's, and
Maslow's. The second part of the lesson will educate learners on behavioral assessments and
how they are used to further diagnose the root cause of performance issues. Learners will apply
knowledge by completing an in class activity which requires them to describe how they would
use motivation theory in the performance management process.
Materials:

Battle of the Theorists: Motivational Theorists video by LJacobsEDU

Employee Behavioral Assessments...What Are They? video by The Omnia Group
Manager's Guide To Motivating Employees article by Anne Bruce

Make Better Hires with Behavioral Assessments article by Bill Roberts

Testing for Talent: An HR Case Study article by Michelle Hite and Amelia Nathanson

Physical Resources

Training Room
Projector
Laptop and guest network access for corporate network
Whiteboard and accessories (markers, erasers, etc.)

Lesson Standards: N/A, corporate learning environment

Lesson Objectives:
5) Given a selected article and guided learning worksheet, learners will describe (text response)
how they will use motivation theory in the performance management process, by responding to
questions on worksheet with 80% accuracy (as compared to correct response for each question).
6) Given a selected articles and instruction on behavioral assessments, learners will work in
pairs, to select 2 motivating needs necessary for job fit for each role listed, with 75% accuracy
(as compared to list of correct response for each type).
Time: 1.5 hours
Pre-instructional activities: Learners will view a short video which provides a brief, thoughtprovoking video regarding employee motivation. After watching the video, learners will be
asked to describe what motivates them in the workplace. For the second part of this lesson,

instructor will open with a brief video regarding behavioral assessments and how they are used
to diagnose performance issues. Upon completion of the video, learners will be asked what
behavioral assessments they are familiar with and what their opinion is for using them in the
workplace.
Creating Meaningful Dialogue:

Ask learners what the top 2-3 things are that motivate them in their roles. Record their
responses on the whiteboard.
Ask them how their motivations drive their behavior. Record their responses on the
whiteboard.

Content presentation: Instructional delivery will leverage a projector for visual reinforcement
of key points. Videos from subject matter experts in the fields of employee motivation and
behavioral assessment, will provide learners perspective and expertise in the concepts being
presented.
Key Points to Discuss:

Intrinsic Motivation: Discuss underlying, driving needs that must be met to ensure
happiness over time. Ask learners where they have seen a disconnect between motivating
needs with an employee and how it affected their performance.
Extrinsic Motivation: Ask learners how important external factors are in engaging
employee performance. Ask which is more important--intrinsic or extrinsic motivators.
How Leaders Can Effect Change for Improved Employee Performance: Discuss
how realistic it is for a leader to impact an employee's performance if a leader cannot
change an employee's underlying motivating needs. Ask learners where opportunities
DO exist for effecting change in employee performance.

Learner Participation: Facilitated discussion will be used to allow learners to bring forward
real life examples from their own performance management experiences. An intentional effort
will be made to ensure learners are engaged in meaningful dialogue related to the examples and
key points. Learners will use a selected scenario and sample behavioral assessments to apply
concepts of this lesson.
Assessment: At conclusion of first section of instruction, learners will be provided a selected
case study depicting a performance management challenge and learners will describe (text
response) how they will use motivation theory in the performance management process, with
80% accuracy (as compared to correct response for each question). At the conclusion of the
second section of instruction, learners will be provided with 2 sample behavioral assessments
and 3 role profile descriptions--learners will work in pairs, to identify 4 underlying, driving
needs for each assessment type, with 75% accuracy (as compared to list of correct response for
each type).

Questbase for Assessment Completion: Direct learners to log in to their Questbase accounts
and complete assessment, per included instructions.
Follow-through activities: Learners will apply knowledge from this lesson in subsequent
lessons. Learners will apply concepts from this lesson in order to manage performance issues in
the workplace effectively.