Motivating Language
Leader communication is too important to be left to chance. Motivating Language provides a framework to quickly understand all leader-to-follower work communications. By breaking communication down into three basic categories - Hands, Heart and Spirit - Motivating Language offer an easy reference for evaluating, understanding, and improving leader communication.
Created by:
Jacqueline Mayfield
Milton Mayfield
Developed and refined throughout the world for over thirty years
This assessment is based on the work by Jacqueline Mayfield & Milton Mayfield at Texas A&M University, The model has been validated across many types of employees and in most all industries.
A validated tool for measuring a leader's
Motivating Language strength
The scale has high reliability and validity and is simple to administer. Researchers and trainers have used it
around the world, and the scale has stood the test of time for over twenty-five years. The scale can gauge a leader's motivating
language skills with a single follower, with a team, with a division or even as part of an organizational wide leader communication audit.
Once you have given the scale to identify areas for growth, you can create tailored training and development programs to address weaker
skills and to optimize stronger ones. You can also apply the scale and training/development outcomes to measure improvements over time - especially
if you introduce motivating language interventions to achieve a specific goal such as transitioning followers during organizational change.
“Beyond simple coordination, good communication fosters a sense of community and purpose between organizational members. This communication architecture promotes desirable results: for the organization and people in the organization.”
Jacqueline Mayfield & Milton Mayfield
Sample Questions
Direction-Giving Language
Gives me good definitions of what I must do in order to receive rewards.
Meaning-Making Language
Gives me useful information that I couldn't get through official channels.
Empathetic Language
Gives me praise for my good work.
Meaning-Making Language
Offers me advice about how to behave at the organization's social gatherings.
Empathetic Language
Shows trust in me.
Direction-Giving Language
Provides me with helpful information about forthcoming changes affecting my work.
Empathetic Language
Shows me encouragement for my work efforts.
Direction-Giving Language
Offers me helpful directions on how to do my job.
Meaning-Making Language
Tells me stories about people who have been rewarded by this organization.
Top Features
Take a data-driven approach to improve leadership communications across your organization - a critical element of organizational performance.
Backed by validated research and tested for more than 25 years across multiple industries; Motivating Language provides insights you can trust.
Gain insights expeditiously - perform analysis at the team, program and organizational levels.
Benchmark Motivating Language across your teams and organization to assess how you are doing over time - and against other organizations in your industry.
Jacqueline Mayfield
Milton Mayfield
Jacqueline Mayfield
Jaqueline Mayfield - I spent almost ten years in the private sector before making a career change to academia. Now, I really enjoy teaching and research, plus integrating the two areas into practice. I have also done considerable organizational consulting and training. My co-authored book, “Motivating Language Theory,” was published by Palgrave-Springer last year, and I am working on a second one. I am also co-editor of the “International Journal of Business Communication.”
Milton Mayfield
Dr. Milton R. Mayfield is a Professor of Management in the A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business at Texas A&M International University. Authored over 80 publications in a book, journals, conferences and book chapters about such areas as leadership communication, creativity and international management. These publications have appeared in such outlets as the “International Journal of Business Communication,” “Academy of Management Learning and Education,” “Academy of Management Discoveries” and “Human Resource Management.”
