What is a Motivational Map? Explained by a top Motivational Maps accreditor

After nearly 20 years of using Motivational Maps with hundreds of teams - from John Lewis to Frettens Solicitors, BCP Council to AgeUK - we can tell you that most leaders are flying blind when it comes to motivation. They know it matters, but they can't measure it. That's exactly what Motivational Maps were built to solve.

The cost of this "blindness" is staggering. According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2025 report, only 10% of UK workers are engaged at work - the lowest rate in Europe. This disconnect costs the UK economy an estimated £257 billion annually in lost productivity.

That means 9 out of 10 employees are showing up but not truly contributing their best energy. The question isn't whether motivation matters. It's whether you can measure it, understand it, and actually do something about it. You can.

Why trust this guide?

We're not writing this on just theory and ideas, we are a team that lives and breathes this motivation measurement tool every day.

1. We started as users: Motivational Maps were first adopted inside Aspirin Business Solutions (ABS) - our parent company - back in the early 2010s as a critical delivery tool across our leadership programmes, team workshops, and coaching. We used them long before Motivated Performance existed as a specialist brand. We didn't start as accreditors; we started as users who needed results.

2. We went deeper because it worked: After seeing how reliably Maps turn "motivation" into something you can measure, discuss, and actually improve - across hundreds of people in different roles and industries - we committed to becoming experts. Our goal was simple: help more organisations make work a place people actually want to be.

3. Formal Expertise: Today, we are one of only seven Senior Motivational Maps Practitioners globally, with nearly 20 years of experience working directly with the tool's creator, James Sale, and having accredited over 180 practitioners ourselves.

So, if you have ever asked, "What is a Motivational Map?" - you are in the right place. Let's dig in.

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What is a Motivational Map?

Put simply, a Motivational Map is an ISO-accredited (17065:2012) online self-perception inventory. It measures three critical things that most other tools miss:

1. What specifically motivates an individual at work right now (broken down into 9 different motivators).

2. How motivated they currently are (how much they are driven by their role).

3. How engaged they currently are (how much they enjoy their office, manager, culture, etc.)

Here's a sample Motivational Map for you to check out. This one has been generated by our AI-analysis app, Scout, available for free to all of our practitioners.

It is not a personality test

This is the most common misconception we encounter. Tools like MBTI, DiSC, or Insights are brilliant for understanding personality - your fixed traits and preferences. But personality is the "how" of behaviour; motivation is the "why."

While personality tends to be relatively static, motivation is dynamic. It shifts with life events, career changes, and personal circumstances. That is why Motivational Maps are designed to be repeated over time, not done once and filed away. We have written a full breakdown of the differences here: Are Motivational Maps Better than Personality Tests?

How it works

The process itself is fast but powerful. It involves a simple 10-15 minute online questionnaire that generates a comprehensive 15-16 page Motivational Map report. This report ranks your motivators, scores your current satisfaction, provides an overall motivation audit score, and, crucially, offers personalised strategies for improvement.

To take this analysis even further, at Motivated Performance we developed Scout, an AI-empowered app that works alongside the Map. Scout provides fast, in-depth analysis of Map data, highlighting specific risks and strategic opportunities that might otherwise be missed.

Replacing guesswork with data

In our experience delivering workshops through Aspirin Business Solutions, the moment someone sees their Map for the first time, there is usually a pause, then a smile, then the comment: "that is scarily accurate." We've actually heard those specific words about 10 times now, from different people!

That reaction never gets old, but it is more than just a nice moment. It is the starting point for performance. According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2025, 70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager. Yet, without data, most managers are just guessing at what drives their people. A Motivational Map replaces that guesswork with hard evidence, giving leaders the "cheat codes" to their team's performance.

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The 9 Motivators: What drives people at work

At the heart of the Motivational Maps system are the 9 Motivators. While everyone has all nine to some degree, the order in which they appear is unique to you. To make them easier to understand, we group them into three clusters: Relationship, Achievement, and Growth.

Here is what they look like in practice.

1. The Relationship Cluster (Feel)

People with these drivers typically make decisions based on how they feel and how it affects others.

• The Defender (Security, Stability, Predictability)

  • In practice: This is the person who ensures your systems are robust and your foundations are solid. They are the safe pair of hands.

  • When unmet: They become anxious when change is poorly managed or communication is vague.
    

• The Friend (Belonging, Friendship, Teamwork)

  • In practice: The cultural glue of the team. They work hardest when they feel supported and connected to their colleagues.

  • When unmet: They wither in isolated or toxic environments.
    

• The Star (Recognition, Respect, Social Esteem)

  • In practice: They want to be noticed and appreciated. They often crave public praise, awards, or simply a "thank you" that is visible to others.

  • When unmet: They feel invisible and their effort drops immediately.

2. The Achievement Cluster (Think)

People with these drivers often make decisions based on logic, returns, and tangible results.

• The Director (Power, Influence, Control)

  • In practice: They want to be in charge, manage resources, and orchestrate the outcome.

  • When unmet: They become frustrated by micromanagement or a lack of authority.
    

• The Builder (Money, Material Satisfaction, Living Standard)

  • In practice: The most commercially minded team members. They are driven by ROI, competitive wins, and financial progression.

  • When unmet: They disengage if the link between effort and reward is broken.
    

• The Expert (Knowledge, Mastery, Specialisation)

  • In practice: The specialist who wants to know everything about their subject. They value training and expertise above all else.

  • When unmet: They hate being asked to "wing it" or work without sufficient knowledge.

3. The Growth Cluster (Know)

People with these drivers generally make decisions based on what they learn and how they can expand.

• The Creator (Innovation, Originality, Creativity)

  • In practice: The problem solver. They love a blank sheet of paper and the chance to do something new.

  • When unmet: They get bored quickly by routine or "maintenance" tasks.
    

• The Spirit (Freedom, Independence, Autonomy)

  • In practice: They need the space to do it their way. They work best when you give them the goal and leave them alone to achieve it.

  • When unmet: They feel suffocated by bureaucracy or heavy-handed supervision.
    

• The Searcher (Meaning, Purpose, Making a Difference)

  • In practice: They need the "why." They are driven by the customer's success or the organisation's mission, not just the profit.

  • When unmet: They check out mentally if the work feels pointless or conflicts with their values.

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How does a Motivational Map work?

So, how do we get from a feeling to a measurable data point?

The process is designed to be rigorous but accessible. It starts with an online questionnaire using a semantic differential scale, essentially a series of "forced-choice" questions where you choose between pairs of statements. Over 36 questions, you distribute 180 points across the nine motivators.

This approach prevents people from simply saying "everything is important" (the flaw in many standard surveys). You have to make choices, which reveals your true priorities.

Importance vs. satisfaction: seeing the gap

The real power of the Motivational Maps tool lies in its dual measurement. Most surveys only ask, "Are you happy?" A Motivational Map pinpoints two key data points for every driver:

1. Importance: How important is this motivator to you right now?

2. Satisfaction: How well is this motivator currently being met?

The report doesn't just give you a static label; it presents this data side-by-side. This allows you (or your coach/manager) to instantly spot the "gap" between what you need and what you are getting. You might have a high score for Defender, but if your satisfaction is low, that explains your current stress levels - you're likely struggling with constant change.

The Personal Motivation Audit (PMA)

This satisfaction data is then distilled into your Personal Motivation Audit (PMA) - essentially your "battery level" score.

The PMA is calculated based on the satisfaction levels of your top three motivators. Because these three drivers are most critical to your happiness, their satisfaction (or lack thereof) has a disproportionate impact on your performance.

• If your top three are highly satisfied, your PMA will be high, indicating you are fully charged and resilient.

• If they are starving, your PMA drops, predicting burnout or disengagement long before it shows up in your work.

Scout: the AI advantage

To take this analysis further, Motivated Performance developed Scout.

While the Map provides the raw data, Scout is an AI-empowered tool that helps practitioners and users instantly analyse the profile. It looks for patterns, conflicts, and opportunities within the scores that might take a human hours to cross-reference, ensuring nothing is missed.

From individual to organisational intelligence

The data from individual Motivational Map reports can be aggregated into:

• Team Maps: These show the collective motivational DNA of a group. Are you a team of "Directors" who all want to lead? Or a team of "Friends" who hate conflict? This reveals potential friction points before they cause issues.

• Organisational Maps: These allow leadership to see the motivational health of the entire company at a glance, enabling data-driven people strategies.

Built on solid foundations

While the technology is modern, the psychology behind it is well-established. Motivational Maps are grounded in three well-understood frameworks:

1. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: The foundational theory of human needs, from basic survival to self-actualisation.

2. Edgar Schein's Career Anchors: The concept that we all have a "dominant career anchor" (like autonomy, security, or competence) that we will not give up.

3. The Enneagram: A dynamic system of nine interconnected personality types that helps explain how we view the world.

For a deep dive into the science, you can read our detailed breakdown of The Origins of Motivational Maps and The Validity and Reliability of Motivational Maps.

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Who uses Motivational Maps?

Motivational Maps are used by anyone who needs to understand people - whether that is a manager leading a team, an HR Director planning strategy, or a coach helping a client.

1. Leaders and managers

The primary use is simple: to stop guessing. When a manager knows that one team member is driven by Spirit (autonomy) and another by Defender (security), they can flex their management style immediately. Instead of treating everyone the same, they have the "cheat codes" for each individual.

• Case in Point: In work with Ordnance Survey, a practitioner used Maps to link individual motivators to strategic planning, ensuring project assignments matched people's natural drivers.

2. HR professionals

For HR, Maps provide hard data for "soft" problems. They transform motivation from a vague feeling into a measurable metric that can be tracked alongside financial KPIs.

• Application: We often see HR teams use Maps to diagnose retention issues. For example, identifying that an entire department has low satisfaction on the Friend motivator (belonging) can explain why turnover is high, allowing for targeted team-building rather than generic perks. Motivational Maps are also fantastic in many other areas, including (but not limited to) empowering annual reviews, and strengthening recruitment, by helping draft job descriptions based on the ideal candidate and identification of candidates who will best fit the role and company culture.

3. Coaches and trainers

For external practitioners, a Map is a shortcut to rapport. Instead of spending weeks trying to uncover what drives a client, how they work, what problems they are struggling with, the Map puts it on the table in the first session without judgement.

• Application: When succession planning, owners often struggle to find a successor because they subconsciously look for a "mini-me." A coach can use a Map provides objective data to avoid this trap. For example, an owner driven by Creator (innovation) might need a successor driven by Defender (stability) to scale the business safely. Maps reveal these hidden drivers, ensuring the successor matches the future needs of the company, not just the personality of the current leader.

4. How we use them (We were users before we became trainers!)

This is where our perspective is different. Inside Aspirin Business Solutions, our parent company, we do not just sell accreditation; we use Maps in everything we deliver.

We started as users first. We adopted Motivational Maps because they worked - consistently, across contexts, and with different people. Today, they are embedded in every part of our ecosystem:

• Leadership Development: In our Liberating Leadership Programme, Maps are used early to tailor the curriculum to each leader's actual drivers.

• The Business Gym: Every member of the Aspirin Business Gym receives an annual Map as part of their membership, keeping motivation visible throughout the year.

• Team Workshops: We use Team Maps to surface the differences in a group, making them normal and discussable rather than a source of hidden friction.

We became Senior Practitioners because we wanted to bring that same advantage to other organisations. The goal has always been the same: help make work a place people actually want to be.

And the data backs this up - according to Gallup, engaged employees perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave. Understanding what drives them is the first step.

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Motivational Maps vs Personality Tests: What's the Difference?

One of the most frequent questions we get is: "Is this just another personality test like MBTI or DiSC?"

The short answer is no.

While personality tests are valuable, they measure something completely different. Personality tests describe how you behave - your fixed traits, your style of communication, and your preferences. Motivational Maps measure why you behave that way - the energy and drive behind your actions.

Think of it like a car:

• Personality is the make and model (e.g., Are you a Ferrari or a Land Rover?). This tends to be static; a Ferrari doesn't suddenly become a Land Rover.

• Motivation is the fuel in the tank. Even the best Ferrari is useless if the tank is empty.

Crucially, because motivation is dynamic, it changes. Life events often trigger significant shifts in what drives us. For example, a new parent might suddenly find their Defender (stability) motivator spiking as they crave security, while someone who has just paid off their mortgage might see their Builder (money) driver drop, replaced by a need for Searcher (meaning). That is why Motivational Maps are designed to be a living tool, repeated annually or during key transitions, whereas personality tests are often done once and filed away.

Here is a quick breakdown of the differences:

	Motivational Maps	Personality Tests (e.g. MBTI, DiSC, Insights)
Measures	What drives you (motivation)	How you behave (personality traits)
Changes over time?	Yes - motivation shifts with life events, beliefs, and circumstances	No - generally considered fixed/stable
Output	Actionable strategies to increase motivation & performance	Descriptive profile of preferences & style
Focus	The "why" behind behaviour	The "how" of behaviour
ISO Accredited?	Yes (ISO 17065:2012)	Varies by provider
Frequency	Repeated regularly (e.g. annually, or after big work or life events) to track energy levels and changes	One-off (typically done once)

Better Together (But Start Here)

In an ideal world, you would use both. When you overlay a Motivational Map onto a personality profile, you get the complete picture: the "car" and the "fuel." For example, knowing someone is an introverted thinker (personality) who is driven by public recognition (Star motivator) is a powerful insight that explains a lot of internal conflict.

However, if you have to choose just one to improve performance right now, start with the Motivational Map.

Why? Because knowing someone's personality type doesn't tell you if they are about to burn out, leave, or disengage. A Motivational Map does. It gives you the immediate "battery level" of your people and the specific levers to pull to get them back on track. You can't change their personality, but you can boost their motivation.

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Are Motivational Maps Scientifically Valid?

Motivational Maps have a robust evidence base. They are built to be used as a serious workplace diagnostic, not a "nice-to-have" quiz. We do not just rely on anecdotes; we rely on audited standards and established psychology.

The ISO "Stamp of Fairness"

Most tools claim to be accurate, but Motivational Maps have proven it to an international jury. The tool is accredited to the ISO 17065:2012 standard. This is a world-recognised benchmark usually reserved for high-stakes certification bodies. In plain English, this means an independent auditor has verified that the "Motivational Maps Self-Perception Inventory" is managed with total impartiality, technical competence, and consistency. It is a global guarantee that the results you get are based on a reliable, audited process rather than guesswork.

Established Psychological Roots

The model is not a modern invention created in a vacuum. It is grounded in three established psychological frameworks:

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs - the foundational framework of human needs from physiological to self-actualisation.

• Edgar Schein’s Career Anchors - the theory that individuals have core career orientations that guide their choices.

• The Enneagram - a framework identifying nine interconnected personality and motivation types.

Global Scale and "Face Validity"

The tool is widely used at scale, which creates a substantial dataset and constant feedback loops. To date, over 100,000 Maps have been completed worldwide, and the questionnaire has been translated into more than 10 languages across 20 countries.

Finally, there is the "Face Validity" test - the simple question of whether people recognise the results as true. In practice, the most consistent feedback we hear is that the results are "scarily accurate." This is why the tool is trusted by high-performing organisations including the United Nations, Sky TV, Royal Mail, the RNLI, and John Lewis and Waitrose.

For a deeper dive into the research and credibility signals (without bloating this guide), you can read our full analysis of the validity and reliability of the Motivational Maps model.

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What Difference Do Motivational Maps Actually Make?

It is one thing to understand the theory of motivation, but it is another to see the impact on a balance sheet. Motivational Maps provide the diagnostic layer that turns a vague goal like "we need better engagement" into a specific roadmap for every person in the building.

Here are three brief examples of the difference this data makes in practice:

1. Measuring the Immeasurable: One organisation saw an 11% increase in overall team motivation scores within months of implementing Maps. By identifying exactly which drivers were being starved of satisfaction and acting on those specific areas, they moved the needle on performance in a way that "generic" team-building never could.

2. Reducing Manager Stress: At Loadpoint Bearings, a senior manager used his Map to understand why he was feeling overwhelmed. He discovered a conflict between his top drivers and his daily tasks. By adjusting his approach to delegation based on his profile, his confidence increased, and his stress levels dropped, which immediately improved the dynamics of his entire team.

3. Strategic Resource Planning: At Ordnance Survey, Maps were used to go beyond job titles. By linking individual motivators to strategic planning, leadership could assign projects based on who would be most energised by the work. When the "Expert" is given the research and the "Creator" is given the blank page, everyone wins.

You can find more detailed case studies in our Motivational Maps accreditation article, here.

The business case is clear. According to Gallup, organisations with highly engaged workforces are 21% more profitable and see 37% lower absenteeism. Motivational Maps don't just tell you that you have a problem; they tell you exactly how to fix it.

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How to Get Started with Motivational Maps

Whether you are looking for a personal insight or a company-wide transformation, there are four clear ways to get started.

1. Understand Your Own Motivation: If you are curious about what drives your own performance - or why you might be feeling drained - the best place to start is with your own Motivational Map report. This provides an immediate "audit" of your current energy levels and a personal action plan.
   

2. Use Maps with Your Team: If you are a manager or HR professional looking to improve engagement and productivity, you can use Motivational Maps with your team as a standalone diagnostic. We provide the profiles, the team-wide data, and the debrief sessions to help you turn that data into results.
   

3. Woven into Long-term Development: If you want motivation to be a central part of your culture rather than a one-off exercise, Aspirin Business Solutions (our parent company) implements Motivational Maps across all its programmes. This includes leadership development, team building and motivation workshops, and ongoing coaching.
   

4. Become a Practitioner: If you are a coach, trainer, or HR professional who wants to use this tool independently with your own clients or employees, you can become a Motivational Maps practitioner. Our accreditation process gives you full access to the tool, the reporting platform, our Scout AI app, and our Senior Practitioner support.

Our goal with Motivational Maps is simple: to make work a place people actually want to be. By measuring what matters, you can stop guessing and start leading with data.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is a Motivational Map the same as a personality test?

No. This is the most common confusion we see. Personality tests (like MBTI, DiSC, or Insights) measure how you behave - your fixed traits and preferences. A Motivational Map measures why you behave that way - your energy and drive. Crucially, personality tends to be static (you don't stop being an introvert overnight), whereas motivation is dynamic. It changes with your life circumstances, career stage, and personal growth. You need both to get the full picture, but they are not the same tool.

2. How often should I complete a Motivational Map?

We recommend updating your Map annually. Because motivation is tied to your changing life circumstances - buying a house, having children, getting promoted, or changing managers - your drivers will shift over time. Relying on a Map from three years ago is like trying to navigate London with a map from 1990; the main roads might be the same, but the landscape has changed. An annual update allows you to track your "battery level" and adjust your working style before you burn out.

3. Can I use Motivational Maps for recruitment?

Yes, but with a warning: never use it as a "pass/fail" filter. We use Maps in recruitment to generate better interview questions, not to make the final decision. For example, if a role requires strict adherence to procedure but the candidate has high "Spirit" (a need for freedom and autonomy), you shouldn't just reject them. Instead, use that data to ask: "This role has tight guidelines; how do you typically handle environments where you can't change the process?" It turns a standard interview into a deeper conversation about fit.

4. How long does it take to complete?

It’s designed to be fast. Most people finish the online questionnaire in about 10 to 12 minutes. It isn't a test with right or wrong answers, and there are no long-form text boxes to fill in. It uses a "forced choice" system where you simply choose between pairs of statements. This structure makes it quick to complete but very difficult to "game," ensuring the report reflects your actual drivers rather than what you think you should say.

5. Are Motivational Maps scientifically valid?

Yes. The tool is accredited to ISO 17065:2012 standards, an international benchmark for certification bodies that verifies impartiality and consistency. It’s not a pop-quiz created in a vacuum; the system is built on three well-established psychological frameworks: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Edgar Schein’s Career Anchors, and the Enneagram. With over 100,000 Maps completed globally, the data consistently validates the model's accuracy.