![HBR IdeaCast show](https://d3dthqtvwic6y7.cloudfront.net/podcast-covers/000/026/923/small/hbr-ideacast.jpg)
Summary: Whitney Johnson, an executive coach, argues that on-the-job learning is the key to keeping people motivated. When managers understand that, and understand where the people they manage are on their individual learning curve — the low end, the sweet spot, or the high end — employees are engaged, productive, and innovative. Johnson is the author of the book “Build an A-Team: Play to Their Strengths and Lead Them Up the Learning Curve.”