We all know that motivation is a crucial part of teamwork. All team members must be motivated and inspired to produce the best results, primarily by their leader.
However, the trickiest part is that things that motivate people are different for all team members.
I used many tools to motivate people, but what did I find? Before any action, we, as leaders, need to know what motivates our team members. More importantly, they need to be aware of what motivates them! We know some external motivators, but internal motivators are stronger and aim right in the center.
“Moving Motivators” is a tool developed by Jurgen Appelo as part of his Management 3.0 framework. This tool is designed to help individuals and teams explore and understand what motivates them in their work and personal lives.
The Moving Motivators exercise is based on ten motivators, which Jurgen derived from the works of Daniel Pink, Steven Reiss, and Edward Deci. These ten motivators are either intrinsic, extrinsic, or a bit of both.
C – Curiosity The desire to explore and learn new things. (I have plenty of things to investigate and to think about)
H – Honor The need for integrity and ethical behavior. (I feel proud that my values are reflected in how I work)
A – Acceptance The longing to be appreciated and accepted by others. (The people around me approve of what I do and who I am)
M – Mastery The drive to improve skills and achieve a high level of competency. (My work challenges my competence, but it is still within my abilities)
P – Power The aspiration to influence others and have an impact. (There’s enough room for me to influence what happens around me)
F – Freedom The craving for independence and autonomy. (I am independent of others with my work and my responsibilities)
R – Relatedness The need for social interactions and connections with others. (I have good social contacts with the people in my work)
O – Order The preference for structure, stability, and predictability. (There are enough rules and policies for a stable environment)
G – Goal The pursuit of purpose and direction. (My purpose in life is reflected in the work that I do)
S – Status The wish for recognition, respect, and social standing. (My position is good and recognized by the people who work with me)
So, what is the process?
- Preparation: Each participant receives a set of cards, each representing one of the ten motivators.
- Individual Reflection: Participants arrange the cards in order of personal importance. This helps individuals reflect on what truly drives them.
- Group Discussion: In a team setting, participants share their rankings and discuss their motivators. This conversation can reveal insights into team dynamics and individual differences.
- Changes Over Time: The tool also allows for the exploration of how changes (such as a new job role or personal life events) impact these motivators.
Intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are two distinct types of incentives that drive behavior and influence motivation. Understanding the difference between them is essential for effectively managing and motivating individuals in various contexts, such as the workplace, education, and personal development.
Intrinsic motivators originate from within an individual. They are driven by personal satisfaction, interest, or the inherent enjoyment of the task itself.
Extrinsic motivators come from external sources. They are driven by external rewards or avoiding negative consequences.
The best thing? It’s so easy to apply. Let me share how I used this tool.
I was hired as an external Scrum Master to support a newly formed cross-functional team. I was aware of four different stages in team development, and I was eager to help my team reach the “high-performing team” level. To do that, I knew that setting a foundation at the beginning could make a significant difference later. The team was the “pica team”, consisting of eight team members. So, I needed to plan time accordingly.
After the initial kick-off, I scheduled a “value” workshop to learn more about my new team and help them get to know each other better.
I prepared eight packs of Mng 3.0 cards, “Moving motivators,” one per team member. First, I explained what CHAMPFROGS means, and we went through every card with a short explanation. Then, we discussed the process a bit, trying to align expectations and create a common understanding.
Team members started ordering cards, from the most important to the least important. It was hard because, for some of them, it was difficult to choose. That was round one.
Then, I invited my team to take a look and consider reordering some cards. Surprisingly, almost everyone reordered a few cards.
“Is this your final order?” I asked. After confirmation, every team member explained the order of the motivators. It was a good discussion, and people quickly learned a lot about each other.
What did I learn?
People can have totally different motivators. I already knew that, but I got my confirmation.
I was surprised because, for some people that I already knew, I expected a different order.
Finally, the order will change over time, and that’s fine. Just share your values with the team and be a role model for practicing them.
Of course, it wasn’t as smooth as your reading, and I want to share some pitfalls to be aware of it:
– First of all, plan your time wisely. Even a small group (up to 6 people) could be demanding, considering the discussion about their values. My team of eight took me more than two hours (I planned two hours). Why? I was too eager to join the group and forgot that someone should pay attention to time. Next time, I will give a group more time.
– Next thing I could do better was explanation. I throw the cards in front of them and say order your values. (It wasn’t like that, but similar to me). Spending more time explaining values, why values are important for identity, and how we can live them. That would be helpful to our team members.
– Never play with someone’s values. Or it’s too strong to say this. Be aware that this topic is sensitive, and act according to your team’s sensitivity. A few times, there was a good discussion, and some team members made a joke (positively) about some values, and I didn’t react. It was fun, but it was inappropriate.
