ISO Certified Diagnostic Tool for Understanding What Drives You
Created by James Sale, Motivational Maps® is an ISO/IEC 17065 certified online diagnostic tool that reveals your core motivational drivers and measures how well they are being satisfied.
Each report includes at least 9 motivational strategies to help individuals increase energy, productivity, and wellbeing. The questionnaire takes less than 15 minutes to complete.
Created over a decade of research into human behavior, organizational psychology, and motivation, Motivational Maps® is built on three established theories:
Abraham Maslow's theory of human needs forms the foundation for understanding what drives human behavior.
Edgar Schein's research on career values and self-perceived talents helps shape the motivational framework.
The nine personality types provide insight into core motivational patterns.
Motivational needs depend on three elements: self-perception, future expectations, and personality. The first two, especially future expectations, can change. Therefore, Motivational Maps® results are NOT permanent—they can evolve over time. This is a key difference from personality tests.
Personality tests measure relatively fixed and stable traits. Motivational Maps® measures dynamic, changing states—showing where your energy is flowing. Unlike personality tests taken once, Motivational Maps should be taken periodically, because your energy needs monitoring and boosting, just like your health.
Motivational Maps® reports on our inner motivational needs, often at an unconscious level. The analysis reports an average accuracy of 95%.
Certification is a prerequisite for using the Motivational Maps® tool. Only certified practitioners can obtain a license to administer and interpret Motivational Maps for individuals or organizations, as the tool is protected by international intellectual property and trademark laws.
Entry-level certification for individuals working with personal motivation
LPFor professionals working with teams and organizations
BPAdvanced certification for master practitioners and trainers
SPMotivation is grouped into three clusters: Relationship, Achievement, and Growth. Each cluster contains three motivational factors—nine in total.
People-focused drivers: Belonging, recognition, and contribution to community.
Goal-focused drivers: Challenge, competition, and accomplishment.
Development-focused drivers: Learning, meaning, and personal fulfillment.
Three factors are typically strong, with one being the dominant Core Driver. The report details each factor's contribution and provides actionable steps to improve motivation levels.
James Sale is a world-leading expert in motivational assessment. After extensive research into human motivation, he created the first diagnostic system for inner motivational drivers—Motivational Maps—in 2006. He is the founder of Motivational Maps Ltd., which now has over 1,200 licensed practitioners across 16 countries.
Motivational Maps is used by thousands of organizations and coaches worldwide to improve self-awareness, overcome development challenges, and accelerate performance. It has been adopted by government agencies and international bodies, including the Australian Public Service and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
James Sale has authored/co-authored several authoritative books published by Routledge: