Alternative Motivations

I have been doing a simple personality exercise with some groups of people, and the participants have been really excited about the results. It is not an activity that I created, but it helps people see a little bit about what motivates them and others. The four motivations are:

• The want to get involved

• The want to get things done

• The want to get things right

• The want to get along with others

When people identify with one of those four, the most common response is, “Well, doesn’t everyone want that?” Apparently not! The exercise helps people see that they are not objective outsiders trying to work with others who have differing levels of effectiveness but rather that there are additional variables that others take into consideration when approaching a problem or situation.

For instance, there might be a want to make sure that things are “done right” before moving on. That person believes everyone wants to get things “done right,” but some people just struggle to deliver that outcome. However, Person B might actually have a high value for everyone to “get along.” This does not mean they would like to do things incorrectly, but having people feel connected and included will be of more importance than “getting things right.” The first step is realizing that different people want different things! The second step is appreciating the good that comes from other perspectives, leading to the third step of working together as an effective team. Step 3 cannot happen without a foundation of steps 1 and 2.

It is not easy to appreciate where someone else is coming from, but that will build trust within a team and better productivity. If you would like to learn more about appreciating your own motivation as well as the motivations of others, please Contact Us.