Moving motivators

The moving motivators is a management 3.0 practice created by Jurgen Appelo that allows to know the real motivations of the people carrying out the workshop.

To date, this tool is widely used by human resources to know the motivations of candidates but also by leaders to measure the impact of organizational change in the company.

This concept has taken as reference the 10 intrinsic desires.

Material required for moving motivators

First of all, it’s necessary to gather the necessary equipment for the workshop. The material needed to do moving motivators sessions is an adapted card game and a relatively quiet place with a table.

Here is the card game offered directly on the website of the author:

Moving motivators cards to print

How do a moving motivators session

Moving motivators cards

Purpose to the interested person to accompany you in a relatively quiet place with a table where you will be able to arrange the cards.

Here is the list of cards present:

• Acceptance: People around me approve of what I am doing and who I am.
• Curiosity: I have a lot of things to study and think about.
• Freedom: I am autonomous on my own work and my responsibilities.
• Status: My position is good and recognized by the people who work with me.
• Purpose: My goals in life guide me in the work I do.
• Honor: My personal values are in the group and this increases my loyalty.
• Mastery: My work challenges my skills but remains in my abilities.
• Order: There are enough rules and policies to provide me a stable environment.
• Power: I have enough opportunities to influence people around me.
• Social Relations: I have a good personal and professional social network.

The steps of the moving motivators

Secondly, you will start by asking the participant to place from left to right the cards from the most important to the least important he gives to each card of moving motivators. The candidate may take about ten minutes to reflect on this.

If this exercise is implemented during a business transformation, you will realize a very interesting second phase of 15 minutes.

You are going to propose to the candidate to push the cards to the top if the transformation of the company has a positive impact on him; and to draw towards him the cards if the transformation of the company has a negative impact on him. If the transformation has no impact, he does not move the card.

When there are more cards in “bad evolution” than “good evolution”, the leader has to consider seriously if the transformation is a risk for this participant.

Some interesting additions

Generalization of a motivation that evolves in bad

As part of a business transformation, it may be interesting to compare all the results to see if a negative trend is generalized or not. However, it is often rather bad to see a sign generalize on the whole of a group.

In case of generalization of an evolution experienced as negative by a whole group, it is necessary that the company plans to work on this point because it is often a precursor sign of problems.

Self criticism of your own motivation

It can be interesting for every person in the company to do the exercise in order to see their own motivations. Indeed, this can lead to a questioning about your motivations or even your presence in the company.

Conclusion moving motivators

In conclusion, do not hesitate to generalize this type of practices such as Moving Motivators coming directly from management 3.0. It allows to work regularly on the motivation of the candidates for a position and or to follow the evolution of a transformation of culture.

Have you already tried to do this moving motivators exercise on yourself?

Keyword: moving motivators

Useful link: Delegation Poker – Management 3.0