One of the essential elements of conducting people assessments is that they must deliver real value—actionable insights that not only provide a roadmap for improvement but also generate a Return on People™ for the organization’s investment.
For many HR professionals and company leaders, that value is obvious and undeniable when it comes to the Motivators Map™. Getting to the heart of what inspires people to perform their best has clear measurable benefits.
Using an automobile analogy, if DISC helps us gauge how an individual’s behavioral style impacts their energy flow and uncover how to align their style with roles that keep their battery at full charge, then Motivators gives us insight into the transmission–it’s the drivetrain that translates energy into optimal engagement, which improves performance and satisfaction.
“For organizations, uncovering Motivators is just as important as knowing someone’s behavioral style,” says Competitive Edge CEO Krista Sheets. “When leaders understand what truly drives people, they can align roles, rewards and team dynamics in ways that unlock both individual fulfillment and organizational performance.”
What Is a Motivators Map™?
The Motivators Map™ is built on the research of Dr. Eduard Spranger and others who identified six universal Motivators common in virtually every person to varying degrees:
● Utilitarian/Economic – a desire for practical results and return on investment.
● Theoretical/Conceptual – a thirst for learning, discovery and truth.
● Individualistic/Power – a need for influence, achievement or control.
● Aesthetic – the pursuit of balance, harmony or beauty.
● Traditional/Regulatory – a need for structure, order and guiding principles.
● Social/Humanitarian – a passion for helping others reach their potential.
Think of each of these Motivators as the drivetrain. Some people are propelled by continuous learning, while others mesh better with structure and order. Everyone has an optimal “gear ratio” that spurs their best performance. And it’s rarely just one–it’s more often a range of gears.
For example, a person who is highly Power and secondarily high Economic, is a bit different from someone who is high Power, but secondarily high Humanitarian – they both might seek roles of high responsibility but may excel in different types of organizations or departments (e.g., a sales leader versus a non-profit executive).
Why Motivators Matter
“The trouble is that Motivators are often invisible—yet they’re critical in engagement,” Sheets says. “When we make assumptions about Motivators, or try to motivate someone in the same way that we’re motivated, it may not ‘grease their gears’, and in fact can grind them to a halt. It’s like speaking an entirely different language: the communication will break down.”
When the work and the environment align with what matters most to a person, they respond with energy, creativity and resilience. But when there’s misalignment, then burnout, frustration, and turnover become real risks. It’s like trying to force a car to climb a steep hill in overdrive or merge onto the highway in first gear: both risk damage. When the gears match the conditions, that’s when you achieve smooth, sustainable performance.
For individuals, knowing their Motivators is empowering. It can reveal—in a way they’ve perhaps never been able to understand or articulate before—why some projects leave them energized while others feel like dragging a bus uphill with the emergency brake on. For organizations, uncovering Motivators can be a game-changer. With this insight, leaders can better assign roles, design recognition programs, and build teams that capitalize on motivational diversity instead of clashing against it.
Motivators in Action
What does it look like to leverage Motivators effectively? Let’s bring it to life with some real-world examples:
- The ROI Thinker (Economic): This person evaluates decisions based on efficiency and return. They may not be wholly driven by financial compensation, but they value pragmatism. Show them how a project will save time or maximize resources, and you’ll win their buy-in. Force them to waste time or spin their wheels with little perceived benefit, and they’ll soon deflate.
- The Knowledge Seeker (Conceptual): Someone with a high Conceptual driver thrives when they’re learning, researching, and solving problems. Give them opportunities for professional development, stretch projects, or fact-based decision-making, and they’ll be engaged. On the other hand, stifle their curiosity, and disengagement sets in quickly.
- The Independent (Power): Not everyone with a Power Motivator wants the corner office. Some just want control over their own destiny. They’re goal oriented, self-reliant and effective when given autonomy and trusted without being forced into cutthroat competition. Perhaps competitive, but not necessarily dominating or dictatorial, a person with a strong power Motivator might feel a bit caged in situations where they must sit quietly in the background.
- The Harmony Seeker (Aesthetic): Someone with a strong Aesthetic Motivator likely values self-fulfillment, creativity and work-life balance. They may light up when leading a wellness initiative or contributing to an inspiring work environment. They want everyone to feel energized and fulfilled, but when things feel overbearing, messy or filled with conflict, they can quickly shut down.
- The Principle Keeper (Regulatory): High Regulatory individuals thrive in structured organizations with clear systems, purpose and standards. They find comfort in rules, tradition, and discipline. They prefer the known path as opposed to the road less traveled and can be upset by people not following protocols or skirting established rules
- The Altruist (Humanitarian): Driven to help others, this Motivator shines in roles that involve coaching, mentoring or community initiatives. Recognition for service—not just achievement—keeps them engaged. But force them into a role where they don’t feel connected to a mission, and they’ll wither—they need purpose to fuel their soul.
In practice, every individual has a mix of Motivators. For example, one might score high Conceptual, moderate Economic, and moderate Power, and low in the other motivators. That individual thrives when diving into research, finding efficient solutions, and mentoring others. She might make a great thought leader, for example, sharing what she’s learned with others through articles and research reports, but is less likely to be engaged by highly creative or purely altruistic pursuits.
How Organizations Can Use Motivators
For leaders and HR professionals, the Motivators Map™ is more than a personal development tool. It’s a strategic asset that can guide:
- Team design. Motivators can help organizations build balanced teams by blending different Motivators—pairing ROI thinkers with Humanitarians, or Conceptual researchers with Regulatory rule-keepers, for example—to ensure diversity of thought and approach.
- Engagement strategies. Use it to tailor rewards, recognition, and communication to fit what matters most to each person and ensure personalized engagement that resonates.
- Talent alignment. By matching roles to Motivators—for instance, placing high Conceptuals in R&D or high Humanitarians in mentoring roles—HR can use this insight for promotions and succession planning to ensure success instead of relying purely on past performance.
- Conflict resolution. Like Adaptability Intelligence, the Motivators Map™ provides an objective baseline that helps to reframe disagreements as Motivator differences rather than personality clashes. It can help find common ground—that we’re all working toward the same goal—we’re just inspired to get there differently.
- Adaptability support. Organizations can use Motivator insights to fuel resilience and Adaptability during change by “speaking the right language” to inspire their team.
Connecting Motivators to Adaptability
Just as DISC behaviors dovetail with Adaptability Intelligence, Motivators adds another layer of insights to support individual and organizational growth.
For instance, if someone is highly Conceptual, they may flex more easily in times of change when they understand the “why” behind the initiative. A high Economic Motivator may adapt more readily when they see the measurable efficiency gains. A high Humanitarian may adapt quicker if the change is shown to clearly help people.
In short: helping people to find and engage the right gears that drive them makes change less draining and more sustainable.
The Bottom Line
The Motivators Map™ reveals the right gears required to keep your team running smoothly. When individuals know their Motivators, they can make more intentional career and life choices. When organizations know them, they can engage talent in ways that align energy and inspiration with outcomes.
Just as a car can grind to a halt when the drivetrain doesn’t mesh with the engine, people can’t thrive long-term in misaligned environments. But when you can put the right driver in the right gear, performance doesn’t just improve—it accelerates.
Ready to uncover what drives your team?
Contact us today to explore Motivators Map™ Assessments and unlock peak performance for your people and your organization.