Lead people
Moving motivators
Each person ranks ten motivators by how much they matter, then moves each up or down to show how their work feeds or drains it.
- Time30 to 60 minutes
- People1 to 8 people
- Steps4
What it's for
People are moved by different things, and a change that excites one person can quietly drain another. Moving motivators uses ten: curiosity, honour, acceptance, mastery, power, freedom, relatedness, order, goal and status. Each person ranks them from least to most important to them, then moves each card up if their work feeds it or down if it drains it.
It's a conversation tool, best in a one to one or a team that already trusts each other. Nobody has to explain a card they'd rather not.
How to run it
Read the ten5 min
Go through the ten motivators and what each one means.
Rank them10 min
Each person lays out the ten in their frame, least important on the left, most important on the right.
Move them5 min
Shift each card up if your work feeds it, down if it drains it, and leave it where it is if neither.
Talk about it20 min
Each person shares what they choose to. Look for important motivators that moved down, and what could change that.
Tips
- Play it again before and after a big change, such as a reorganisation, to see whose motivators it helps and hurts.
- A manager going first, honestly, makes it easier for everyone else.
Where it comes from
One of the Management 3.0 practices, created by Jurgen Appelo and drawing on research into what motivates people at work.
Pairs well with
Autonomy, mastery and purpose
Look at a team's work through three needs that keep people engaged: a say in how they work, getting better at something, and knowing why.
Three needs theory
Each person places themselves between achievement, affiliation and power, so the team sees what drives each of them and where they might clash.
Personal maps
Each person draws a mind map of themselves (home, work, hobbies, values) so a team learns who it is working with.