"Good mentors at work spend a lot of time understanding what makes their mentees tick career goals, skill building ambitions, anxieties, the specifics of current assignments. The best mentors will probe deeper, into what truly motivates the individual. But institutionally, we have no language and no common standards for understanding worker motivation. Conventional worker-typing systems (such as MBTI) and human personality profiling systems like the respected Five Factor Model are silent on motivation. Understanding your own archetype can lead directly to a deeper appreciation for why you like or don't like the role you have in your organization. It can point you to changes that would improve your satisfaction with work. At the same time, from the point of view of the firm, understanding the motivation of your team members will enable more nuance in team design, work assignment, performance evaluation and career path planning better than anything you have today besides your most accomplished mentors. Theauthor's research points to six distinct worker archetypes anchored on differing motivations, introduced in this book. The model he outlines allows for your archetype to evolve with time (unlike MBTI) and recognizes that workers may draw on several archetypes in their work behavior"--
An in-depth, research-backed exploration of the answers to worker motivation
Based on an extensive global research program conducted in nineteen countries around the world surveying over forty-eight thousand people, The Archetype Effect delivers a new framework to understand and cater to worker motivators across roles, industries, and organizations. This book shows how workers can be classified into six major archetypes based on their motivations, and describes how recent disruptions, such as gig work, remote work and AI-assisted automation, are impacting worker motivators overall.
The archetypes discussed in this book include:
- Givers: Driven by helping others, thrive in collaborative environments
- Operators: Value stability and teamwork, prefer clear instructions and minimal risks
- Explorers: Seek variety, creativity, and new experiences, prefer flexibility and innovation
- Artisans: Motivated by mastery and pride in their work, prefer autonomy and focus on quality
- Strivers: Ambitious and career-oriented, motivated by recognition and advancement
- Pioneers: Visionary and entrepreneurial, driven by creating and often leading new ventures
The Archetype Effect is an enlightening read for anyone wanting a new way to understand what motivates them at work every day, or looking for a language to talk about current role, future choices, and career options with their firm. It is also for all leaders seeking to apply these insights across an organization to increase employee wellbeing, performance, and retention.
