motivational analysis of organizations

3. Builders are most valuable when successful organizations are confronted by
many opportunities for growth and diversification. Builders believe in their
organization’s products and services. They are interested in the means of production,
although they focus their energies on making those means more efficient. They are
detail oriented and are concerned with short-range numbers. They initiate their
organization’s leadership shift from “command” to “collaboration.”
If you work for a Builder:
■ Offer clear, specific, written objectives. Builders hate surprises and believe that
you should have a blueprint for your activities.
■ Realize that Builders are not the world’s greatest communicators. You can help
them by initiating needed communication. Do not expect them to do so.
■ Do not expect a great deal of positive reinforcement. Builders take satisfaction
from the quality and volume of the products that go out the door and they expect
that you will, too.
■ Realize that Builders appreciate creativity within bounds. They want better ways
to get things accomplished. Builders are more interested in “how” than in “what”
or “why.”
If Builders work for you:
■ Be sure that your measurement and feedback are not based entirely on the short
term. Builders already tend toward that direction. You need to help them learn to
think in the long term.
■ Help them to understand the need for involving people below them in decision
making.
■ Remember that Builders respond to rewards for improving processes (“how”)
more than for results (“what”).
■ Do not burden Builders with too much central-staff help. They like to run their
own operations with the greatest possible degree of autonomy. Hold Builders
accountable for improvements. Offer help but do not impose it.
4. Explorers are similar to Builders, but Explorers place their emphasis on
increasing the efficiency of the skills used to produce the organization’s products and
services. They are the organizational members most in touch with customers. They are
highly competitive and enjoy keeping score. Interpersonal relationships are important to
Explorers, and they are enthusiastic and intuitive. On the other hand, they hate
paperwork and do little or no managing.
If you work for an Explorer:
■ You will win points for producing results and gaining new business—things an
Explorer understands most.
The Pfeiffer Library Volume 19, 2nd Edition. Copyright © 1998 Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer ❚❘ 157