Q & A

Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation (iWAM)

What is the Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation (iWAM)?

The Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation (iWAM) is a revolutionary assessment tool that shows you a set of “hidden” motivational and attitudinal patterns that directly influence:

(1) what you sense from “experience” in the world around you (what you pay attention to),
(2) how you interpret that experience (how you think), and ultimately,
(3) how you behave and communicate.

The iWAM - an online assessment tool - is one of two major tools (the other being an interview technique) that assesses these motivational and attitudinal patterns that give you a comprehensive understanding of human behavior.

How is the iWAM different than other tests?

The iWAM is not like any other test with which we are familiar. It measures motivational and attitudinal patterns—a set of filters and translators that exist at the non-conscious level in humans. Unlike tests that measure traits such as personality, the motivational and attitudinal patterns assessed by the iWAM may be somewhat different in different contexts (e.g. at work, at home, or with friends), hence revealing them in the work-context is more powerful in explaining performance than characteristics that tend to be stable across situations.

The iWAM keeps its focus on the work-context throughout the entire test process, allowing it to produce relevant results. It also avoids bias as it phrases all questions positively, hence there is no right and wrong answer. The iWAM produces unique and powerful results by providing a look at a dimension of humans that is not available through any other test! Moreover, the iWAM also explains implications of the results in work relationships and communication, and helps you determine developmental directions and methods.

The Power of Motivation and Work Attitude

Why are motivational and attitudinal patterns important?

These patterns are very powerful in influencing behavior, yet they are relatively invisible (we are not aware of their impact!). Studies have shown that motivational and attitudinal patterns have a significant correlation with performance in a role - they explain 40-60% of performance, far more than any other factors do! Factors such as personality - measured by other tests - have shown far less correlations with performance.

So, if one knows what is important to perform at high levels over time in a given role, one can identify individuals with patterns who are likely to do well. Also, if one knows the motivational and attitudinal patterns of a person, one can predict that person's performance in a specific work context, and also knows what language will motivate (and what will de-motivate) that person. Given that motivational and attitudinal patterns are “upstream” from decision-making and actions, it is important to know what may be influencing behavior that is less than optimal or even ineffective. (To see how motivational and attitudinal patterns explain performance and behavior, take a look at the Performance Model).

► Why Use the IWAM?

Powerful: As powerful or ev better than any assessment tool available for predicting how an individual will perform in a given role.
Versatile: Generates a range of reports and has a modeling feature that are useful for a variety of HR and OD tasks.
Efficient: "Cut to the chase" by managing your own testing system and getting test results instantly.
High Impact: Delivers results! You get the performance improvements you need to be successful.
Accurate: Accuracy is documented in thousands of feedbacks, hundreds of applications, and research.
Valid: Research proves the iWAM's face validity, construct validity, consistent results and strong predictive power.
Easy to use: Filling out the online iWAM questionnaire is fast and easy, and such is the creation of reports!
Great Value: Cost of the iWAM is comparable to other assessments and the output exceeds all others!
Service: jobEQ and The Institute provide timely, quality service to iWAM users around the world.
Unique reports: the iWAM Reports are unbeatable: outstanding content, bulk discounts, unlimited report generation possibilities for one price! Click to learn more about the report system!

So how can I use the iWAM individually?

As Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the poet said: “Let me count the ways.” There are at least two ways the iWAM has personal value. First, the iWAM will help you make your “hidden” patterns visible. That means you will have a clearer sense of how these patterns affect your emotions and behavior at work. Second, and equally important, the iWAM will help you know how others, who have different patterns, relate to and communicate with the world. With this knowledge, you move beyond the one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with people by using powerful iWAM information to increase the effectiveness of your communication and interpersonal relationships. Click here to learn more about iWAM applications for individuals.

Can the iWAM help two people relate to each other more effectively?

Absolutely! The iWAM can be part of a “Paired Comparison” report that shows the similarities and differences between two people’s motivational and attitudinal patterns. This clear comparison provides insights about where the two may have strengths and challenges based on their similarities (two highly internal people may have difficulty with each other) and their differences (a high goal/low problem individual may have problems relating to a low goal/high problem individual). It also explains what the consequences of these similarities and differences are at work and gives direction and suggests action steps on how to improve their relationship and the success of their working together. Similarly, a comparison can be made between a person and a group he or she works with (e.g. manager and team, teacher and students, coach and sports team etc.) to discover how to improve their communication and effectiveness.

Impressive... How can we use the iWAM with teams?

A team profile of motivational and attitudinal patterns provides much stronger correlation to performance than personality characteristics. They are at the heart of building effective relationships and communicating in a powerful manner. With the help of the iWAM you can discover the motivational and attitudinal patterns of team members to help them better understand their behavior, increase mutual respect and team cohesion, and to find the way to enhance their performance at the individual as well as at the team level. The iWAM can be used effectively to improve the performance of leadership teams, business units, project teams, etc.

The iWAM can also be used to form effective new teams, to select employees that are likely to be productive and valuable team members and that have the best combination of motivational and attitudinal patterns together - besides the adequate skills and competencies - for the best results at the team level.

Finally, can we use the iWAM to improve the organization or the overall business?

Yes! The iWAM assesses a dimension of people that is not tested by other assessment tools such as the Myers Briggs or DISC. 'Model of Excellence' research by the developers of the iWAM and professionals globally has shown that the motivational and attitudinal patterns measured by the iWAM are the most powerful predictors of performance!

One way to use the iWAM is to teach supervisors and managers how to manage and coach individuals with different patterns in order to gain maximum performance from all.

The iWAM can be used to assess a critical dimension of culture in the organization. This information is important in building high impact communication strategies and in implementing change in the organization.

Finally, you can use the iWAM to build Models of Excellence. Models will help you identify and select candidates for a role who are most likely to have the motivational and attitudinal patterns that lead to consistent, persistent high performance.

If you wish to take a deeper look at the endless options you have using the iWAM, click here: iWAM Applications.

Does this mean the iWAM is the only assessment tool I need?

It depends upon the application. If you are coaching an individual, the iWAM may provide the kind and depth of insight you need to help make a difference.

If you are doing assessment for leadership development, you might want to consider one or two other assessments that provide the full range of information an individual wants and needs for developmental planning.

The iWAM is not the “magical pill” for everything, but it is an essential tool for understanding human behavior and for improving performance to the maximum.

It gives you an insight to a dimension no other tests reveal. Just imagine if your organization or your clients could see clearly why certain leadership or team behaviors occur, why conflicts exist even if everyone has the best intentions, why certain people perform better in a job than others though they are all qualified and skilled, how to design a training to be effective, what the best way is to make change occur...! The possibilities are endless.

"The iWAM has become an integral part of my coaching practice. It is far and away the most useful assessment instrument on the market. It gets to the most critical aspect of human performance...a person’s motivations and attitudes."

Chuck Appleby, Ph.D.
Appleby & Associates

If you are still not entirely convinced, find out what other certified iWAM professionals say about the iWAM!

Who Can Use the iWAM to Improve Performance?

Every individual, team or organization can benefit from using the iWAM. However, we recommend our iWAM Certification Programs - and using the iWAM test with their work - mostly to HR Professionals, OD Professionals, Executive and Professional Coaches, Consultants in Leadership, Change, Team Development, and Succession Planning, Management Consultants, NLP professionals, Trainers, Recruiters, Headhunters, Staffing Specialists, Performance Managers, Psychologists. Furthermore, Academic Faculty, Teachers, Community Leaders, Sports Managers and Coaches, Attorneys, Students and many others can benefit from this powerful knowledge and tool!

. . . Interested? Now you can try the iWAM for free! >> Click here

iWAM Publications

You can learn more about the motivational and attitudinal patterns the iWAM measures from our iWAM Resource Guide. For more on the applications of the iWAM assessment we recommend our new book Decoding Behavior to Improve Results.

I need information about the iWAM's validity . . .

Based on the feedback form, on average people agree with 90% of the patterns. Further analysis shows that half of the disagreement comes from people not liking the 'verdict', even though the description is correct.
Each of the 200 statements embedded in the iWAM have been designed to measure a specific metaprogram (motivational or attitudinal pattern). The correlation between the metaprograms in different categories are below 0.25, indicating that they are independent constructs.
95% of the results can be confirmed during a retest using a LAB Profile interview, another validated tool for measuring metaprograms. In a test-retest research, where people took the test a second time one month later, the score for most patterns remained within 5% of the original score, giving virtually the same results. Traditional test-retest techniques designed for traits that remain stable are not as effective when measuring motivational and attitudinal patterns that will often shift with context.
Using a Model of Excellence, the iWAM can predict from 40% to 70% of the actual work performance of managers, professionals, and staff. This suggests its correlation with performance is significantly higher than those of other assessment tools.
More about Validity: click here.