explore · Team Building, Retrospective, Decision Making · 30–60 min · 2-20 people · low energy

Moving Motivators

Moving Motivators is a card-based exercise that helps individuals and teams explore their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in the workplace. By ranking and discussing these motivators, participants gain a deeper understanding of what drives them and how change impacts their motivation.

When to use Moving Motivators

Use this method when you want to foster self-awareness within a team, understand individual responses to organizational change, or facilitate more informed decision-making based on motivational factors.

What it solves

Lack of understanding of individual motivations within a team, difficulty navigating organizational change, misaligned priorities.

How to run Moving Motivators, step by step

  1. (5 min) Introduce the 10 motivators (CHAMPFROGS: Curiosity, Honor, Acceptance, Mastery, Power, Freedom, Relatedness, Order, Goal, Status). Briefly explain each one.
  2. (10 min) Individually, have each participant rank the motivator cards from least important (left) to most important (right).
  3. (15 min) Present a hypothetical change scenario (e.g., new project, role change, company restructuring).
  4. (15 min) For each motivator, ask participants to move the card up if the change positively impacts that motivator, and down if it negatively impacts it.
  5. (15 min) Facilitate a group discussion about the results. What motivators are most affected? What does this tell us about the change and its potential impact?

Materials needed

  • Moving Motivators card deck (physical or digital)
  • Whiteboard or virtual collaboration tool (Miro, Mural)
  • Timer

Facilitator tips

  • Encourage participants to define what each motivator means to them personally before ranking.
  • Emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers; the goal is self-discovery and shared understanding.

Common pitfalls

  • Participants may struggle to differentiate between similar motivators. Encourage them to focus on what resonates most with them.
  • The discussion can become superficial if participants are not open and honest. Create a safe space for sharing.

Variations

  • Use the exercise to explore team values instead of individual motivations.
  • Apply the method to personal life decisions outside of work.

Running it online or hybrid

Use a virtual whiteboard tool like Miro or Mural to allow participants to move the motivator cards. Ensure ample time for discussion and reflection, as the conversation is key.

What it produces

A ranked list of motivators for each participant, shared understanding of team motivations, insights into how change affects motivation.

Origin

Invented by Jurgen Appelo, based on work by Daniel Pink, Steven Reiss, and Edward Deci — source

Build a session around Moving Motivators

METODIC places Moving Motivators inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.

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