Self Assessments for Book So You Think You Can LEAD? Instructions: Motivational Needs Assessment Based on David McClelland s Theory of Learned Motives Place an X in the box in front of the statement in each set that best describes you. Even if you feel more than one statement in a set describes you, pick the one statement that MOST describes you.. 1 2 3 Motivational Needs Assessment Questions 1a. When doing a job, I need feedback. 1b. I am uncomfortable when forced to work alone. 1c. I prefer to work alone and be my own boss. 2a. After starting a task, I am uncomfortable until it is done. 2b. I go out of my way to make friends with new people. 2c. I enjoy a good argument. 3a. I enjoy being encouraged to improve. 3b. I enjoy feeling I belong. 3c. I enjoy being asked for my input. 4a. I work better when there is a deadline. 4b. I am always getting involved in group projects. 4c. Status symbols are important to me. Downloaded from: centerforappliedleadership.com Page 1
. 1 2 3 Motivational Needs Assessment Questions 5a. I work best when there is a challenge involved. 5b. I am sensitive to others, especially when they are angry or upset. 5c. I would rather give orders than take them. 6a. I accept responsibility eagerly. 6b. I get personally involved with my co-workers and superiors. 6c. I am eager to be my own boss. 7 a. I enjoy being challenged to stretch my limits. 7b. I enjoy feeling active and involved at work. 7c. I enjoy being given leadership opportunities. 8a. When given responsibility, I set measurable standards. 8b. I include others in what I am doing. 8c. I prefer to be in charge of events. 9a. I desire to out-perform others. 9b. I am concerned about being liked and accepted. 9c. I am concerned about my reputation or position 10a. I get completely involved in a project. 10b. I enjoy and seek warm, friendly relationships. 10c. I want my ideas used. 11a. I desire unique accomplishments. 11b. I don t like being left out of things. 11c. I enjoy influencing the direction of things. 12a. I think about my goals and how to attain them. 12b. I think about supporting and helping others. 12c. I think about ways to change people. 13a. I enjoy succeeding at my tasks. 13b. I enjoy working in a team with an important identity. 13c. I enjoy being able to make choices at work.. Downloaded from: centerforappliedleadership.com Page 2
. 1 2 3 Motivational Needs Assessment Questions 14a. I enjoy feeling competent at my job. 14b. I enjoy being a valued member of a team. 14c. I enjoy being given responsibility for my work. 15a. I enjoy being allowed to set goals for my projects. 15b. I enjoy having opportunities to socialize at work. 15c. I enjoy feeling in control of my own destiny. TOTALS Count the number X s you have in each column and record the total. Need for Achievement - umn 1 Score (out of 15) Need for Affiliation - umn 2 Score (out of 15) Need for Power - umn 3 Score (out of 15) Your highest score is your Dominate Motivating Need Interpreting Your Results David McClelland s Learned Needs Theory Harvard Professor David McClelland s book entitled, "The Achieving Society" focused on the higher level needs people have in the workplace. McClelland identified three key learned needs that act as motivators for people: a need for achievement, a need for affiliation, and a need for power. The Achievement Need Those with high achievement needs are motivated by challenging, but not impossible, projects. They thrive on overcoming difficult problems or situations. They work very effectively either alone or with other high achievers. They like feedback that is fair and balanced appraisal. They want to know how they're doing right so that they can improve. The Affiliation Need Those with high affiliation needs work best in a group or team environment. They also don't like uncertainty and risk, so projects Downloaded from: centerforappliedleadership.com Page 3
need to be well defined and achievable. When providing feedback to these people, be personal. Remember, they want to be accepted and respond better to praise and support that criticism. Also, these people often don't want to stand out from their team members, so it might be best to praise them in private. The Power Need Those with a high need for power work best when they're in charge. Because they enjoy competition, they do well with goal-oriented projects or tasks. They may also be very effective in negotiations or in situations in which another party must be convinced of an idea or goal. When providing feedback, be direct with these individuals. You can keep hem motivated by helping them pursue their career goals. McClelland says that, regardless of our gender, culture, or age, we all have these needs, but one of these will be our dominant motivating driver. This dominant motivator is largely dependent on our culture and life experiences. People will have different characteristics depending on their dominant motivator. Table: McClelland s Learned Needs Dominant Motivating Need Achievement Affiliation Power Examples of Behavioral Characteristics Has a strong need to set and accomplish challenging goals. Takes calculated risks to accomplish their goals. Likes to receive regular feedback on their progress and achievements. Often likes to work alone. Wants to belong to the group. Wants to be liked, and will often go along with whatever the rest of the group wants to do. Favors collaboration over competition. Doesn't like high risk or uncertainty. Wants to set direction and be in charge or have control. Likes to and influence others with their views Enjoys organizing others to compete and achieve goals. Enjoys status and recognition. McClelland s Research The research showed that leaders and managers with a dominate affiliative need, are more interested in being liked than getting things done. Their decisions are aimed at increasing their own popularity rather than promoting the goals of the organization. Downloaded from: centerforappliedleadership.com Page 4
Leaders and managers with a dominate achievement need do not worry so much about what people think of them. Instead, they are focused on setting goals and reaching them, but it is their own achievement and recognition is satisfying their inner needs. By contrast, leaders and managers with a dominate power need are interested and focused in having influence on people. They recognize that you get things done only if you can influence the people around you. They focus on building the power to influence the achievement of others rather than focusing on their own individual achievement. It seems that the role of a leader requires someone who can influence people to get things done, rather than for someone who gets things done better working alone. But, power has two faces. McClelland s research showed that those with a strong power motivating need are often divided into two groups: personal and institutional. Some people are motivated to seek power for their own aggrandizement and egoistic goals. They seek to control, dominate, and exploit others and build their own wealth and prestige. McClelland called this type of motivation personal power. People with a personal power drive simply want to control others to satisfy their own individual goals. McClelland uses the term institutional power drive to describe those who seek to organize the efforts of a team to further the company's goals. Effective institutional power motivation refers not to dictatorial behavior, but to a desire to have influence on others and have an impact on the results that are achieved. This kind of leader is motivated to gain influence in order to achieve organizational or altruistic goals. It is the accomplishment of organizational goals and the development and achievements of others that is satisfying to this kind of leader. As you can probably imagine, those with an institutional power need are usually more desirable both as team members and as organizational leaders. The Ideal Leadership Motivational Pattern From McClelland s research, it seems the ideal motivational pattern among these three (3) needs for a leader is a: High level of Power Motivation (combined with the tendency to focus on organizational or social goals rather than personal gain.) Medium level of Achievement Motivation Low level of Affiliation Motivation Downloaded from: centerforappliedleadership.com Page 5
Can You Change Your Motivational Pattern? Can a person change their behavior after learning more about their internal motivations? What if a person desires to become more of a leader, but discovers that he or she does not have the right motive profile? While you might not be able to totally change your internal motivations, we believe that is possible to improve your leadership behavior as a result of awareness of your internal motivational patterns. We have seen many leaders that have adopted more effective managerial behaviors once they gained insights into and were able to exert conscious control over their natural tendencies. These managers have been able to develop a greater emotional maturity and a more participative, coaching managerial style. For example, Ralph Stayer, the former CEO of Johnsonville Foods, talks frequently about how his self insights increased his desire to influence his employees (power motive)and reduced his tendency to try to do everything himself (achievement motive). In an interview Stayer reflected on his change of managerial style. I finally realized that I was the problem. I finally decided to sit down and try to figure what I could do about it. I knew I had to start being a leader instead of trying to do everything myself and blowing my cool at others because they didn t do what I thought they should. The shifts he was able to make in his own leadership behavior enabled his company to become one of the most successful in his industry. He learned how to influence and empower others around him without having to resort to coercion or an authoritarian management style. Leaders who are able to do rigorous self examination can make conscious shifts in their behavior and managerial style. Analysis Step 1: Identify Your Dominate Need Driver Use the results of the Assessment and feedback from others to determine which of the three motivators is dominant for you. Step 2: Explore the Implications of Your Motivational Pattern 1. What kind of job or project would tap your internal motivations? What kind of a demonstration project would best showcase your abilities? Downloaded from: centerforappliedleadership.com Page 6
2. Do you have a motivational pattern (Hi Power score, a moderate Achievement score, plus a low Affiliation score) that would support your aspirations for leadership? 3. What insights about your natural tendencies did you get? What are the implications of your natural tendencies for you leadership style? 4. Are their behavioral changes you could make to make your leadership style more effective. *Reference: Some of the questionnaire items are from: Junker, K (2002) A Tool for Motivating Volunteers. Downloaded from: centerforappliedleadership.com Page 7