How to create a Driving Forces Summary

Retention is a word that’s top of mind for many leaders we work with. This due to the Great Resignation and the way it’s impacting the talent landscape. They also realize that the challenge of talent is only going to get worse in the future.

A simple way we help our clients stay proactive in dealing with their talent issues is to use the Driving Forces behavioral science to better engage and motivate their team. When you understand what motivates your team and take the time to feed their top driving forces, you will boost engagement leading to higher retention.

If you’re already doing this, great job! I guarantee you feel the tangible value it brings to your organization.

Today I want to share a technique you can use to understand and communicate how your team is motivated to make feeding the force easier.

How to create a Driving Forces Summary for your team members

Before I cover how to do that, here’s a quick reminder of the three types of Driving Forces clusters and how intensity matters (like the DISC behavioral science).

• Primary Driving Forces Cluster: Your top four Driving Forces have the most significant influence on your actions. These driving forces create a cluster that works together to motivate you.
• Situational Driving Forces Cluster: Driving Forces five through eight only come into play on a case-by-case basis. While not as significant as your primary drivers, they influence your actions in specific scenarios.
• Indifferent Driving Forces Cluster: Your bottom four Driving Forces, may cause you to feel apathetic or create an adverse reaction when interacting with people who have one or more of these as their primary driving force.

Now onto how intensity matters.

When looking at the Primary Driving Forces Cluster for each team member, keep in mind the number (level of intensity) each has. For example, if your top two Driving Forces are a 98 and a 95 while your third and fourth are 63 and 61, your summary should focus mainly on the top two.

The closer your driving forces are to the middle (50), the “less” intense they will be, like the DISC behavioral science. Therefore, if any Driving Force is under 60 (low intensity), leave it out when constructing the summary to describe the individual accurately.

The first step in creating a Driving Forces summary is to start with one Driving Force from the four Primary Driving Forces Cluster. It’s usually best to choose the Driving Force with the highest intensity.

To begin the summary, put the person’s name and then “is driven by/to” or “is motivated by/to” and then put the description of their first Driving Force (you can find these within our Shepherd of the Talent Driving Forces slide deck: Download here)

Let’s say your team member John has the Commanding Driving Force as his most intense. You would start the sentence like this, “John is driven to…” and then add the description for the Commanding Driving Force: “…get ahead in the world.”

“John is driven to get ahead in the world by… {Insert second Driving Force}.”

A person who has a Commanding Driving Force is driven by status, recognition, and control over personal freedom. Simply put, they want to get ahead in the world.

Next, complete the sentence by adding the final three Driving Forces to create the best flow (aim for decreasing order of intensity).

In this example, let’s say Structured, Intentional, and Resourceful are the other three Driving Forces in the Primary Cluster. You can use the verb form of the Structured Driving Force to show that this person uses proven methods and systems to get ahead.

“John is driven to get ahead in the world by using proven methods and a defined system to…”

Intentional and Resourceful are the last two Driving Forces we can use to complete this sentence. No matter the order in which you use them, you should finish with a summary that looks like either of these:

Resourceful and then intentional: “John is driven to get ahead in the world by using proven methods and a defined system to maximize results by working with specific people.”

Intentional and then resourceful: “John is driven to get ahead in the world by using proven methods and a defined system to help a specific purpose or group of people maximize their return on investments.”

While they say similar things, they are slightly different in describing how John is motivated. Depending on the person, role, and company, you may pick one over the other because it more accurately describes them.

Note: The value that comes from the summary is not about getting it “right” (as there are many ways to write a Driving Forces summary) but better understanding what motivates your team members and having a succinct summary to reference.

While creating a summary from their top four Driving Forces may seem like magic, the more you do it, the easier (and fun!) it becomes. That’s why I want to share three quick examples to help illustrate how to complete this exercise.

Under each example I will share:

1. Their Primary Driving Forces Cluster image
2. The Primary Driving Forces summary
3. My reasoning for the summary

Three Primary Driving Force summary examples:

Example 1: Alfred

Primary Driving Forces Summary: Alfred is motivated by learning and implementing new and functional ways to maximize efficiency and ROI.

Reasoning: This summary begins with the Driving Force of highest intensity, Intellectual (learning), and follows with the Receptive (new ways) and then the Objective Driving Force (functional ways). While finishing with the Resourceful Driving Force (maximize efficiency and ROI).

Example 2: Eleanor

Primary Driving Forces Summary: Eleanor is driven to help a specific purpose or group of people by using innovative (new) methods gained through knowledge accumulation to move forward in the world.

Reasoning: This summary begins with the Driving Force of the highest intensity, Intentional (help a specific purpose or group of people). Next is the 4th Driving Force, Receptive (using innovative/new methods), followed by the 2nd Driving Force, Intellectual (gained through knowledge accumulation). Finally, the summary ends with the Commanding Driving Force (move forward in the world).

Example 3: Conrad

Primary Driving Forces Summary: Conrad is motivated by working in a supporting role in a harmonious environment to help move forward a cause greater than himself.

Reasoning: This summary begins with the Driving Force of highest intensity, Collaborative (working in a supporting role), followed by the 2nd Driving Force, Harmonious (in a harmonious environment). Next comes the 4th Driving Force, Altruistic (to help move), and finishes with the 3rd Driving Force, Selfless (move forward a cause greater than himself).

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My challenge for you: Create one Primary Driving Forces summary each week until you have one for all your direct reports. If you do not have their Driving Forces results, send me an email, and we will get them a Driving Forces assessment.

I hope the content above helps you increase the engagement and retention of your team and minimize the people issues in your organization.

P.S. I would love to read the summaries you create. Please email me with the person’s Primary Driving Forces Cluster and their summary. I look forward to hearing from you!