What is it?

A practical, interactive session that helps teams understand what truly drives motivation and performance, using the science of Total Motivation (ToMo) from Primed to Perform by Neel Doshi and Lindsay McGregor.

Why is it useful?

This workshop helps teams build a culture that fuels engagement, creativity and adaptability by increasing direct motivators like play, purpose and potential, and reducing the hidden pressures that undermine performance.

Target Audience

• Teams seeking to improve engagement, creativity and performance
• Leaders aiming to create a more motivating and adaptive culture
• Organisations wanting to move beyond short-term incentives
• Project teams balancing deadlines with innovation
• HR, L&D or culture champions designing healthier workplace systems

Objectives

• Understand the six key motivators in the Total Motivation (ToMo) model
• Distinguish between direct and indirect motivators and their effects on performance
• Reflect on how current team culture supports or limits motivation
• Identify practical ways to increase play, purpose and potential in daily work
• Create a team action plan to strengthen motivation and performance sustainably

Materials Needed

• Time: 90 minutes
• Number of people: 6–15
• Flip charts or whiteboards
• Markers
• Post-it notes
• Timer
• Handout: The Total Motivation (ToMo) Framework summary

Process

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

Goal: Set the stage by defining what truly drives high performance.

Activity:

• Ask: “When have you felt most motivated and energised at work?”
• Capture examples on a flip chart and discuss common themes.
• Introduce the ToMo concept: motivation drives performance, and not all motivation is equal.
• Explain that Primed to Perform identifies six motivators—three direct and three indirect—that shape how we perform, learn and adapt.

Debrief Question:

• What patterns do you notice about when you and your team perform at your best?

2. Understanding the Six Motivators (20 minutes)

Goal: Learn the six motivators and their impact on behaviour and results.

Activity:

• Present the six motivators:
  • Direct motivators (fuel high performance):
    • Play – enjoyment of the work itself.
    • Purpose – belief in the impact or value of the work.
    • Potential – connection between the work and future growth.
  • Indirect motivators (reduce performance if overused):
    • Emotional Pressure – fear of letting others down or social shame.
    • Economic Pressure – doing things purely for rewards or fear of loss.
    • Inertia – doing something only because it’s what we’ve always done.
• Divide participants into small groups. Give each group one motivator and ask them to discuss:
  • What does this look like in our team?
  • How does it influence motivation and performance?
  • What actions or habits strengthen or weaken it?
• Have groups share highlights in a brief presentation.

Debrief Questions:

• Which motivators feel strongest in our culture?
• Which ones might be holding us back?

3. Mapping Our Motivation (25 minutes)

Goal: Diagnose the team’s current motivation profile.

Activity:

• Draw two columns on a flip chart: Direct Motivators and Indirect Motivators.
• Ask participants to write Post-it notes describing examples of what motivates them in their current role—one note per motivator.
• Sort them under the appropriate headings.
• As a group, reflect on which motivators dominate.

Debrief Questions:

• What stands out about where we’re spending our energy?
• How could we create more of the direct motivators (play, purpose, potential) in our daily work?

4. Designing for Motivation (25 minutes)

Goal: Develop practical actions to increase total motivation as a team.

Activity:

• In pairs or small groups, brainstorm one or two specific ways to:
  • Add more Play – create space for experimentation, autonomy and problem-solving.
  • Strengthen Purpose – connect daily tasks to impact and meaning.
  • Grow Potential – link work to personal or career development.
• Encourage realistic, low-cost actions (e.g. quick feedback loops, peer learning, rotating roles).
• Write ideas on flip chart paper and present to the group.

Debrief Questions:

• Which ideas could we implement right away?
• What small shifts could make the biggest impact on motivation?

5. Reflection and Commitments (10 minutes)

Goal: Reinforce ownership and align on next steps.

Activity:

• Ask each participant to write two statements:
  • “I will create more motivation by…”
  • “As a team, we will build a culture that…”
• Post these on a shared board titled Our Motivation Commitments.

Debrief Question:

• How will we keep this conversation alive in our day-to-day work?

Secret Sauce

• Keep the tone energising—this workshop is about what drives people, not what drains them.
• Use real examples from the team’s experience to make concepts tangible.
• Encourage honesty about indirect motivators—many teams rely on them without realising it.
• Focus on practical, team-owned actions rather than big organisational changes.
• End by connecting motivation to both performance and wellbeing.