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Decoding Behavior to Improve Performance: Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation (iWAM)
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.
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The roots of the Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation 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 contextsimilar language manifests in similar behavior!
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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.
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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.
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Actions/Words
Abilities & Competencies
The iWAM
Goals
Mission
Invisible Factors 90%
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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 soyou 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.
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 someones 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.
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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.
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Results
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.
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Context
(Role/Job) Relationships Expectations Challenges Tasks
I n t e r p r e t
= My Reality
E v a l u a t e
= My Decision
A c t
O u t c o m e s
Emotions
Background
2008-2009 Institute for Work Attitude & Motivation
Demographics
Personality
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, each of which has five response alternatives, and 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, two people, teams, and organizations iWAM has modeling tools for analyzing and predicting performance. The iWAM can be scheduled, completed, scored, and printed in less than an hour! iWAM Professionals can create a Custom Test Center to brand their assessments and reports Compared to other assessments, the iWAM has a wider range of applications to improve individual, team, or organizational performance!
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Powerful predictor: 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
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.)
iWAM Applications
Recruitment & Selection Training & Development Performance Management Team Development Conflict Resolution Coaching Leadership Development Succession Planning Organizational Culture Analysis Persuasive Communication Change Management Marketing
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Model of Excellence
"What differentiates top performers from their peers in our organization?"
or
"How can we improve the overall performance of a certain role in our organization?
Discover with iWAM what differentiates high performers from others in a role or organization; and code the results ideal profile in an electronic model, the iWAM Model of Excellence.
Match applicants iWAM results to Model to help selection decisions (Model scores and ranks people so you know who to interview first) Match average/low performers iWAM results to Model of Excellence to discover what to train and how to train for improved performance Identify what makes leadership successful and use results for leadership development and succession planning.
Models of Excellence can have a predictive power of 45-65% of a performance rating! Mapping the New Landscape of Human Performance
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100 people used to respond to job ads. Redesigned campaign attracted 300 candidates! Time needed to decide which candidates to invite for selection: reduced to 50%!
Creating a training program that helped managers work with lower performers to behave in ways comparable to top performers
Help managers understand differences in team and its implications for managing individuals more effectively
Net result of the intervention was 33% increase in revenue from those who underwent training within the first 6 months following the intervention!
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Case Study Coaching: iWAM to Resolve Conflict and Help Manage People Effectively
Tom, the senior assistant to the Project manager, once motivated and productive, now is described as unenthusiastic, low morale, unable to be coached for high productivity; probably no longer capable of holding his position with the company as senior assistant.
Toms goals: to like the job again, become motivated, resolve conflicts iWAM consultant revealed problem: manager and assistant are motivated by completely different factors (in fact, opposites!) Coaching helped understand differences and adjust communication, leading to improved work relationship.
iWAM made it possible for manager to effectively motivate Tom again. Tom said his life had turned around, he is back to being enthusiastic and productive at work.
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Case Study Team Development: Turning Great Individuals into a Great Team
Talented leadership team in turmoil, working well in dyads, but when mixed, performance went down. They were unable to solve difficulties, the President needed help to improve teamwork and performance.
Every leader on the team filled out the iWAM Everyone received individual feedback and agreed to participate in a team session with an iWAM team profile Team session with consultant explaining what high and low scores in a pattern meant and how differences might play out in the team Team discussed their experiences and how the iWAM profiles contributed to their effectiveness and how they will use this knowledge to improve their performance in future
Team called iWAM very useful teambuilding tool as well as personal development exercise!
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Case Study Leadership Development: iWAM + Coaching Yield a Better Leadership Team
Global companys senior manager having trouble communicating and managing relationships with and between some of the leadership team members.
iWAM administered to all team members, individual feedback sessions held with key team members; iWAM Paired Comparison used to develop data for dialogue and contracting exercises between members; Senior manager and direct report with the help of consultant used paired comparison results to understand similarities and differences, sources of synergy and dysfunction.
Leaders admitted having discovered something very useful that was off the radar.
Consultant: The iWAM has become a central tool and approach to executive and leadership development as well as in the development of effective leadership teams. I wish there had been such an instrument available 20 years ago.
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For further information on the iWAM, its applications, or the Certification Program, please contact:
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