Individual Effectiveness and Career Success

Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation

(iWAM)for Individual Career Success

“Mapping the New Landscape of Human Performance”

How the iWAM helps your career success

Identify job and role matches Work design and career planning Training & development needs Team fit and ideal roles in a team Resolve and prevent conflict Coaching areas Leadership potential and development

plan Organizational culture matches Persuasive communication Change needs, “Job Clock” Language of influence Improved relationships, reduced stress Learn effective self-motivation

Mapping the New Landscape of Human Performance2

What we measure: Motivational and Attitudinal

Patterns What we call Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns (MAPs)

are often called “Metaprograms” in the realm of cognitive psychology.

These patterns are unconscious filter/translators that are part of how we construct and confirm our model of the world.

Since these patterns are a major determinate of what we perceive at any given time, they impact directly how we interact with ourselves, others, and the world around us.

Although Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns (MAPs) are universally shared, the way we apply them varies from person-to-person and context-to-context.


How Does the iWAM Work?

The roots of the Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation (iWAM) are in the field of cognitive psychology in the study of the relationship between language and behavior.

Individuals store in memory and retrieve experience on the basis of language. Our stored experiences include both facts (information) and emotions (feelings).

Early research in the field revealed that people who use certain kinds of language patterns tend to exhibit certain kinds of behavior patterns; that is, similar language manifests in similar behavior.

There is a direct link between language and behavior in a context—similar language manifests in similar behavior!


Language and Motivation

Words can incite physical and emotional reactions

Words and phrases serve as verbal triggers or “hot buttons”

If a “hot button” is activated by language or a situation, it can: Motivate us to action (get us going) in the desired direction; Keep us from being motivated by something; or Motivate us in the opposite direction of the desired action.


Importance of Motivation & Attitude

Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns are part of our behavioral habits that impact thinking, decision making, and behaving by helping us manage our experiences.

Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns help us manage experiences by: Filtering what goes on around us (Admit vs. Block) Translating the “Admits” into our sense of “reality”

Motivational and attitudinal patterns are very powerful influences on personality, emotions, competencies, and the resulting behavior from all of these factors. In the end, our behavior is what determines our performance.

As a result of the connections and relationships, motivational and attitudinal patterns turn out to be a major force in predicting performance levels in given contexts.

In spite of their importance, motivational and attitudinal patterns are relatively “invisible” to the person and “off the radar” of human resource and organization development specialists in North America.


The Visible and the Invisible

Visible Behavior 10%


Values

Motivation

Vision

Goals

Work Attitudes

Actions/Words

Mission

Invisible Factors – 90%

The iWAM

Preferences

Abilities & Competencies

Basic Assumptions All behavior is motivated.

Motivation and attitude are not abilities.

Abilities/Competencies determine whether you can do something; motivation and attitude influence whether you want to do it.

You are not likely to be able to perform an act that requires an ability you do not have, but you can behave in ways that are contradictory to your motivational and attitudinal patterns in a context if you choose to do so—you can override your predominant desire.

If you are in a situation that requires you to behave, for a long period of time, in ways that contradict what you want to do, it will consume more energy than if you were doing what you want to do and will be de-motivating.


MAPs and the Role of Context

“Context” = Frame of reference we put around a situation.

We put different frames around different life situations and roles (e.g., job, recreation, family, play).

The different frames or contexts may have an impact on our motivational and attitudinal patterns.

As a result, we may be motivated to behave in different ways in different situations.

To understand someone’s behavior, we have to understand the context (framework) within which he or she is operating and the motivational and attitudinal patterns associated with that context.


MAPs and Performance

Performance is impacted by motivation and attitude.

Certain jobs and roles require certain kinds of motivational and attitudinal patterns.

Assuming you have the ability, the more closely your motivational and attitudinal patterns match the requirements of a role:

(a) the more you are motivated to perform that role, and

(b) the better you are likely to be in that role.

In working with others, the extent to which you understand your MAPs in a context and how those MAPs match with or differ from others’, the more effective you can be in having a successful relationship and in creating positive outcomes.


The Performance Formula


• The Performance Formula, supported by research, shows that MAPs, Criteria (that include our values, goals and beliefs), and Abilities/Competencies interact to create behavior that generates Results or Outcomes.

• The more you understand which factors influence performance in what ways, the more effective you will be in predicting and managing performance and results.

• MAPs are the key to understanding to what extent and how motivation and attitude drive performance.

Motivation & Attitudes

XCriteria

(Values, Goals, & Beliefs)

XAbilities &

Competencies

=Result

s

= My Reality

Motivation& Attitudes

Interpret

Emotions

= My Decision

Values, Beliefs& Goals

Evaluate

Context(Role/Job)

Relationships

Expectations

Challenges

Tasks

Culture of the Country Environment Organizational Culture

Background Demographics Personality

© 2008-2009 Institute for Work Attitude & Motivation

Abilities &Competencies

Act

The Performance Model

Performance Model Explanations

High-Level Influences on the Individual (The Milieu): A major force on an individual is the milieu in which the person lives including the country culture, environment (physical/economic/etc.) and the organizational culture in which he or she works.

Personal Influences on the Individual (Background, Personal Characteristics, and Personality): Research indicates that factors such as family history and characteristics such as marital status as well as what we call personality all have some influence on an individual’s behavior and performance. The group of factors is shown in the model, but not a core component of the model because there is no evidence in current research that any of these factors across a group have as much impact on an individual as those shown.

Influence of the Setting on the Individual – The Context: Context, in this case, refers to the individual’s life situation or setting at the moment. It can be work, family, play, etc. Context has a significant impact on the first stage of the model. Unlike more stable characteristics like personality or intelligence, motivational and attitudinal patterns may shift with context. Patterns for high performers in one role may not be the same as those in another role. The same goes for an organization. High performers in a role in one organization may not have the same patterns as their counterparts in another organization. To understand fully one’s performance, it is necessary to understand the context in which the person works.

Motivational & Attitudinal Patterns: The first stage of the 3-stage performance process is the one in which we translate the experience around us into our personal definition of “reality.” The process involves filtering that experience such that some gets processed and other parts ignored and interpretation where we put our “meaning” around the experience. This is a powerful “upstream” contributor to much of the motivation that leads to performance.

Criteria – Values, Beliefs, Goals, etc.: In this stage, we evaluate “reality” make decisions and judgments about whether the experience we are having is important to us, aligns with our values, goals, and other criteria, or fit with our beliefs. This evaluation and decision process influences our actions or reactions to a given situation or experience.

Taking Action: This is where we act on or respond to the situation we just evaluated. We always take action even if the action is only a thought. When we act, we choose from the storehouse of knowledge and skills we possess. The more knowledge and skills we possess, the more options we have for responding. Note, however, that at the “action” stage, our competencies and abilities are all “downstream” from our motivational and attitudinal patterns, criteria, and emotions.

Emotions: Our emotions may play an important role in the overall process. Emotions can both impact and be impacted by our motivational and attitudinal patterns and our criteria. In addition, the field of emotional intelligence (EQ) demonstrates how our emotions can have a major impact how we access and take advantage of our abilities.

Outcome (Performance): The outcome represents that effect of all that influenced us on the way to action. Each element of the Performance Model contributes to the result—yet, no single element is sufficient in and of itself to account entirely for the outcome. The key is to understand which variable or variables in the model account for what proportion of the performance in a given role in a given context (organization).

Mapping the New Landscape of Human Performance

Measuring Motivation and Attitude: the iWAM

Assessment The Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation (iWAM) is a unique,

online assessment tool that measures motivational and attitudinal patterns (MAPs)

The iWAM consists of 40 questions, can be completed in 20-30 minutes

iWAM is reported in 48 scales!

The iWAM was developed in the United States, is used globally, and is available in multiple languages

iWAM reports are applicable to individuals, but also for two people, teams, and organizations

The iWAM can be scheduled, completed, scored, and printed in less than an hour!

Compared to other assessments, the iWAM has a wider range of applications to improve performance: increase self-awareness, improve work relationships and communication, learn motivational language, indentify jobs matching interests, reveal strengths and challenges for certain roles or careers.


Examples of Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns the iWAM

MeasuresProactive: Does the individual want to take initiative or make things happen?

Goal Orientation: Does this person want and need goals in his/her work?

Decisions: Does this person want to make her/his own decisions or get input?

Task Orientation: Will he or she look for alternatives or prefer to follow procedures?

World View: Does this person want to see the big picture or pay attention to detail?

Communication: Gives more attention to words (content) or non-verbal behavior?

Work Environment: Does she prefer to work alone or have lots of contact with people?

Responsibility: Does he want sole responsibility or to be more of a team player?

Time Orientation: Is the individual’s attention on the past, present, and/or future?

Convincer Data: What is the best way to provide information to convince this person?

Rules: How much will this person want to follow the rules? To accept diversity?

. . . and much more…!


What makes the iWAM unique?

No other test measures motivational and attitudinal patterns (MAPs)

Powerful predictor of performance in a job: 40-60% as opposed to 15-30% or even less like other factors measured by other tests

Context specific/sensitive results – more applicable in work-context and business environment than general factors

A lot more information – 48 categories/patterns measured as opposed to 4 or 8 (it does not “put people in a box”)

Report options (individual, paired comparison, team reports, etc.)

Provides interpretive reports and the influence language for MAPs

Comparison to a standard group using relative percentages is available besides the absolute scores for personal analysis, answers ‘How do other people see us? How do MAPs impact us?’


iWAM Workshop Content

iWAM Assessment conducted online prior to workshop

Each individual receives iWAM Report

Workshop introduces all Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns, their meaning, their implications in career path, communication, work relationships, etc.

Q&A session

Potential individual feedback sessions scheduled for after the workshop


The Institute for Work Attitude & Motivation


2510 South Brentwood BoulevardSuite 204

St. Louis, Missouri 63144Phone: +1-314-961-9676

Fax: +1-314-961-9678Email: [email protected]

www.iwaminstitute.com

For further information on the iWAM, its applications, or the iWAM Workshop, please

contact:

Individual Effectiveness and Career Success

Business

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