Language of Influence

Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation

(iWAM)

The Language of InfluenceAn Effective Approach to Motivating Employees

“Mapping the New Landscape of Human Performance”

Imagine… what if you knew…?

- “How to make people do something I want them to do?”

- “What keeps someone from being motivated at work?

- “What motivates people in the exact opposite direction of the desired action?”

Now we can help you answer these questions so you can be more effective.

Mapping the New Landscape of Human Performance2

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!


What are the Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns?

Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns - called “Metaprograms” in the realm of cognitive psychology - are unconscious filters, translators that are part of how we construct and confirm our model of the world.

Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns (MAPs) help us manage experiences by:

Filtering what goes on around us: Admit vs. Block

Translating the “Admits” into our sense of “reality”

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.

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


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

Language, Motivation, and Behavior

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.

If you know one’s motivational patterns, you know what words push their “hot buttons” and which turn them off.


If You Understand One’s Motivational Patterns…

Since performance is impacted by motivation and attitude, you can predict if one is likely to be motivated to perform a certain task, and therefore, how good they are likely to be at it (assuming they have the ability).

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.

If you know one’s motivational patterns, you know what language to use to motivate them (and what to avoid!!)

You can effectively influence, motivate, and manage people with words instead of rewards ($) and punishments.


How to Identify Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns?

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.

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

You can reveal motivational patterns by listening to the language ones uses. Or an easier, effective, and unique method is the iWAM Assessment: its roots are in the field of cognitive psychology in the study of the relationship between language and behavior.


Examples of Motivational and Attitudinal Patterns

(Measured by iWAM Assessment)

Proactive: 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…!


Examples of the iWAMLanguage of Influence

Motivation Proactive Reactive Goal Oriented Problem Solver Procedural Alternatives Internal Decision External Reference Sole Responsibility Team Player


Motivational Language- Initiate, start, just do it- Patience, wait, all in good time- Have, get, obtain, goal, outcome- Avoid, prevent, solve, get out the way- Do it the right way, step-by-step- Options, possibilities, choice- Decide for yourself, up to you- Feedback, guidance, others’ opinion- In charge, independent- Share, together, team, with others

More about 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, each of which has five response alternatives, and is reported in 48 scales, each with recommended motivational language

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 (Model of Excellence) for analyzing and predicting performance for selection and training purposes

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 individual, team, or organizational performance!

The iWAM provides a unique insight and fills a critical void in understanding human behavior in order to achieve performance goals or find solutions to performance related problems!


What makes the iWAM unique?

No other test measures motivational and attitudinal patterns (MAPs)

Powerful predictor of behavior and performance: 45-65%!

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

Model of Excellence customized to your organization and role: identify the key motivators of your top performers!

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 – How do other people see us? How do the MAPs impact us?


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, and the language of influence,

please contact:

Documents

Language of Influence