This document provides information about a motivational assessment exercise, including: 1) The exercise takes 30 minutes and identifies motivations for joining groups through self-scoring questions. 2) Participants should respond quickly with their first impression. Scoring sheets are provided to quickly tally results. 3) Results are interpreted based on high scores in Achievement, Affiliation, or Influence categories. This reveals dominant motivations and how people may function in groups. 4) A balanced group includes representatives from each motivational category, while too many of one type can cause issues if not balanced by the others. The exercise reveals motivations to help form effective work groups.

1. MOTIVATION
MOTIVATIONAL ASSESSMENT
ALPHA M. BRUTON/
ARTIST /ART CONSULTANT

2. MOTIVATIONAL EXERCISE
 TOTAL TIME: 30 Minutes
 The motivational exercise pinpoints the motivations
people have for joining a group. Not only is it helpful for
people to articulate their motivations, but the scores
provide a guide for the formation of work groups or
committees.
 This instrument works best when the participants
respond quickly with their first impression. The time
devoted to taking the motivational exercise should not
exceed five or six minutes. A self-scoring sheet is
included. Urge people to quickly score their exercise
before turning to the interpretations.

3. MOTIVATIONAL EXERCISE
 Please note that some may  When everyone has
comment that they can’t completed the exercise,
select just one choice. Be review their scores with
firm but kind in insisting them. Ask that people
that they do. Remind them declare their motivational
it is merely choice, an preference by raising their
indication of general hand. Again, use each
motivation, and is not individual’s name and
meant to encompass all of make sure that everyone
the complexities of each has a sense of the number
person’s life. of each of the motivational
preferences that are
present on the board. Read
and discuss the
interpretations.

4. MOTIVATIONAL EXERCISE
 Ask the group (individual) if they
are comfortable with their scores
and listen to the response.
All preferences are necessary for a

well-balanced group, a point
reinforced by the text. Often a
discussion will follow that suggests
that within the context of this
particular group, some members
may be assuming a slightly
different motivational preference
than within another group.
 Notice if people are talking about
their thinking styles or comparing
notes on their motivations. If they
are, the exercises are definitely
having the desired effect.

5. MOTIVATIONAL
ASSESSMENT
This exercise tells us
important things about
ourselves. It reveals how
we and others view our
membership in a group.
Understanding
motivations gives us one
key to determining how
people will perform in
ventures
(collaborative/partnershi
ps).
Use this brief, self-scored
exercise to identify your
motivations for
participating in groups.

6. Motivational Assessment
1. 5.
 
I like to work alone. Before I begin, I want to see the standards against
a) a)
which I’ll be judged.
I like to work with others.
b)
Before I begin, I want to see the organizational goals.
b)
I can work alone or with others.
c)
Before I begin, I want to know with whom I will be
c)
working.
2.

6.

I’m happy working closely with people to develop
a)
I want to be perceived as a competent leader.
a)
and complete a project.
I want to be perceived as an effective worker.
b)
Just give me directions and let me “go at it.”
b)
I want to be perceived as a good person.
c)
Let me plan a whole project and get it started myself.
c)
7.

3.

A successful job for me is one in which we feel like a
a)
a) I like to influence other people.
family
b) I like knowing that what I do makes people happy.
A successful job for me is one in which I’ve taken a
b)
c) I like the feeling that I’m doing an excellent job.
leadership role from the start to finish.
A successful job for me is one in which I've exceeded
c)
4.

expectations.
I enjoy getting to know people by working with them.
a)
8.

I enjoy wrestling with problems.
b)
I enjoy being able to direct others.
a)
I like a strong feeling of camaraderie.
c)
I enjoy being sensitive to the needs of others.
b)
I enjoy competing with others.
c)

7. Page 2
9. 13.
 
I appreciate having made friends while working on a In meetings, I’m most comfortable leading the
a) a)
project. discussion.
I appreciated a tangible reward at the end of a project. In meetings, I get bored until we finally decide which
b) b)
action to take.
I appreciate being given a clear line of authority.
c)
In meetings, I enjoy taking on the detail work, and
c)
10.

making everyone feel comfortable.
I like a good challenged.
a)
14.

I like a good strong argument.
b)
I lose track of time when I’m involved in a challenging
a)
I like a strong feeling of camaraderie.
c)
project.
11.

I lose track of time when I’m working with interesting
b)
I want to be popular.
a)
people.
I want a position of status and respect.
b)
I lose track of time when I’m involved in a good
c)
I want to do important work.
c) argument.
12.
 15.

I would like my ideas to predominate.
a) I like to start a project on my own initiative.
a)
I would like to know that my work has helped others.
b) I like to work on a project with the people.
b)
I would like to be promoted because I’ve done a good
c) I like to complete a project and know it’s been done
c)
job. well.
12.
 16.

I would like my ideas to predominate.
a) I prefer to work with people I know well.
a)
I would like to know that my work has helped others.
b) I prefer to work with people with a proven track
b)
I would like to be promoted because I’ve done a good record of getting things done.
c)
job. I prefer to work with people who will listen to me.
c)

8. 



Column I: 


Achievement 














Column II:



Affiliation
















Column III: 

Influence







9. KEY TO MOTIVATIONAL ASSESSMENT
I II III
 Look at your answers,  1. a b c
Next to each number on  2. b a c
this page, circle your  3. c b a
response. Total each
 4. b a c
column. You tend to be
 5. a c b
motivated by the need at
the top of the column  6. b c a
with the largest number.  7. c a b
 8. c b a

10. KEY TO MOTIVATINAL ASSESSMENT
 9. b a c  Are you an affiliator, an
achiever, or an
10. a c b

influencer? What
11. c a b

motivates you and what
12. c b a

blend of motivations
13. b c a
 characterizes your
14. a b c board members are

important indicators of
15. c b a

how you will function
16. b a c

together.
Total:


11. SCORE INTERPRETATION
MOTIVATIONAL MODEL Becoming volunteers:
 These, models give us a  Generally speaking,
basis for understanding people have three
ourselves and the different
interactions and needs  Motivations for
of others in your becoming volunteers:
venture.

12. SCORE INTERPRETATION
To feel successful,
Achiever the achiever needs:
 The achievement-  a specific goal to work toward
motivated individual can  to work alone
be characterized as  to stick to the ask until
having: completed
feedback
a desire for excellence. 

responsibility

a preference for work he

to solve problems that are
or she considers 
seen as challenges
significant.
a tangible reward

a need for advancement

specific parameters set to

a strong wish for
 measure success
feedback. 


13. SCORE INTERPETATION
 To be successful, the affiliator
needs:
 The affiliator-motivated
individual is characterized by: personal interaction

a desire to be popular to make friends
 
a strong, need for interaction to be involved with group
 
projects
a wish to avoid being alone

to have a personal

a desire to help others

relationship with authority
figures.
to work with people he or she

knows
to be liked.

to make people happy.

social opportunities.



14. MOTIVATIONAL MODEL
To Be Successful:
Characterized by:
 The influencer needs:
 The influencer is  to see that he or she is having an
characterized by: impact on others
to teach others

a desire to give advice.
 to respond to the needs of people

or programs
a need to lead.
 to keep an eye on the overall

goals of the venture
a need to achieve status
 (partnership/collaboration)
to respond to titles that denote

a desire to see his or
 authority.
her ideas predominate to seek and accept positions of

authority and responsibility
to be persuasive


15. MOTIVATIONAL MODEL
Influencers
Affiliators
 You can’t really have a
 Influencers use their energies
healthy group without to persuade others.
affiliators. They are the
glue that binds a group  Their role, as they see it, is to
together. convince others of the value of
their ideas. They often bring
 Affiliators will tend to insight and experience that is
emphasize the social valuable to the organization.
aspects of the group.
(Your receptions will be  However, they also frequently
rely on others to perform the
wonderful!) task at hand.

16. MOTIVATIONAL MODEL
Balance is the key.
Little gets done.
 With too many affiliators,  This balance differs from group
to group. Each group needs to
people sit around and enjoy
find its own proper balance of
the coffee, the cookies, and
motivational types. There is no
each other. Little gets done.
hard-and-fast rule for what is
With too many achievers, all correct. The mission and the
sorts of things happen, but requirement for fiscal solvency
coordination becomes will influence the mix more than
difficult. any arbitrary standard. Nonprofit
groups vary greatly. But one
 A group full of influencers is
thing is certain: groups that don’t
going to ring with great
include some representatives of
advice. But unless the staff is
each motivational type tend to
prepared to accept all the function poorly.
delegated work, not much will

get done.

17.  IMPACT ON THE GROUP
 Achievers are great. They work
Achievers hard to get the job done. But they
almost always resist working
A group dominated by
achievers is going to
through committees.
struggle as it tries to
reconcile everyone’s
 Their efforts are frequently not
different agenda.
coordinated with the rest of the
Officers and staff will
group. Achievers will tackle a
need to be particularly
alert to make sure that
project with great zeal.
both the mission and
 If they sense that their hard work
the fiscal solvency of
the organization are
is not rewarded by the group,
not jeopardized by the
enthusiasm achievers
however, they will move on
bring to the group.
quickly.