Team/Manager
Cheat Sheet
Free
Motivational Triggers Cheat Sheet
A one-page lookup for what actually moves each of the four personality types on your team — competitive, affiliative, achievement-driven, and autonomy-driven — so a 1:1, a shoutout, or a contest doesn't backfire.
What's inside
- A definition of each of the 4 types: competitive, affiliative, achievement-driven, autonomy-driven
- 60-second diagnostic questions to identify a rep's type on the spot
- Quick-reference table across all 4 types: what moves them, what kills it, what to say, what never to say
- Best recognition method per type
- Best incentive/comp structure fit per type
- A same-team blend guide for running one team meeting that lands for all 4 types at once
One page. Keep it open during 1:1 prep, contest design, and recognition moments.
60-Second Diagnostic
Ask, or just notice the pattern over a few interactions:
- "When you picture a great week here, is it beating a specific number, beating a specific person, mastering something hard, or doing it your own way?"
- Do they mention rank unprompted (competitive)? Mention the team or a client unprompted (affiliative)? Mention getting better at something unprompted (achievement-driven)? Push back on being told how to do something (autonomy-driven)?
Quick-Reference Table
| Type | Spot Them By | What Moves Them | What Kills It | Say This | Never Say This | Best Recognition | Best Incentive Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competitive | Checks the leaderboard unprompted; talks in relative rank ("I'm 2 behind Dan"); energized by contests | A visible, moving rank; head-to-head contests; a rival at their level | Flat pay with no visible rank; long contests with only one winner | "You're 2 deals from taking the lead this week." | "Everyone's a winner here." | Public leaderboard, name attached | Short-cycle contests (weekly), most-improved category |
| Affiliative | References "the team" often; motivated by not letting others down; thrives in pods/pairs | Being part of something; peer recognition; a shared team goal | Being singled out alone at the top or bottom; pure solo metrics with no team frame | "The team hit its number because of what you did on the East accounts." | "You beat everyone else this month." | Team shoutout that names their specific contribution | Team-based SPIFFs, pod bonuses |
| Achievement-driven | Asks for feedback unprompted; rewatches own calls; cares more about "why it worked" than "that it worked" | Naming the specific skill that leveled up; harder problems as reward for mastery | Praise that only mentions the number, never the skill; being handed easier work as a "reward" | "The way you handled that objection was a level up from last month — here's why." | "Just keep doing what you're doing." | Private, specific, skill-named feedback | Certification/skill-tier systems tied to access, not just cash |
| Autonomy-driven | Pushes back on scripts; asks "why" before "how"; better with a goal than a checklist | Being handed an outcome and left to choose the method | Step-by-step scripts with no room to adapt; being shadowed right after a win | "Here's the outcome — the approach is yours." | "Just follow the script, it works." | A visible grant of trust (their own account, less oversight) | Outcome-based comp with method left open |
Running One Meeting That Lands for All Four
When you can't tailor 1:1 by 1:1 — a team standup, a QBR, a kickoff — hit all four in under 2 minutes:
- Open with team purpose (affiliative) — what this quarter's push means for the team as a whole.
- Name a rank movement (competitive) — who moved up, who's closing the gap.
- Name a specific skill leveled up by someone (achievement) — not just a number, the "how."
- Close by handing the room a choice (autonomy) — "here's the goal, you decide how your pod gets there."
How to use it
Print this single page and keep it next to your 1:1 notes; before praising, assigning, or incentivizing a rep, glance at their row and match the method to the type.