iWAM (Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation)
The Inventory for Work Attitude and Motivation (iWAM) is a cutting-edge psychometric
assessment that measures how people think and what motivates them in a work context.
Unlike traditional personality tools that focus on static traits, iWAM identifies the cognitive
patterns and internal filters—known as metaprograms—that shape how individuals
perceive the world, make decisions, and take action.
Rooted in cognitive science and neurolinguistic programming (NLP), iWAM evaluates 48
metaprogram patterns that govern work behavior, such as how people process information,
relate to authority, approach time, handle risk, manage change, and derive meaning from
their roles. These patterns act as mental shortcuts that determine how people engage with
tasks, teams, and challenges—often outside of conscious awareness.
The iWAM stands out for its contextual and dynamic approach. Rather than producing a
one-size-fits-all personality label, it reveals how an individual’s motivation and behavior
shift based on work-related situations. For example, one person may be highly proactive in
a leadership setting but more reactive in technical roles. Another may prefer structured,
rule-based environments while someone else thrives with autonomy and flexibility.
Each iWAM report provides a ranked score profile across the 48 patterns, showing which
filters are dominant, neutral, or avoided. This rich detail allows individuals and
organizations to better understand how people stay motivated, which communication styles
they naturally resonate with, what kinds of environments energize or drain them, and
where there may be hidden mismatches between role expectations and cognitive
preferences.
iWAM is also a powerful tool in executive coaching and personal development. Because it
reveals how individuals construct their internal experience of work, it opens the door to
targeted mindset shifts. The assessment helps people move beyond surface behavior to
deeper mental models, making real change possible.
Used by organizations for hiring, onboarding, and team development, iWAM helps leaders
match people not just to tasks—but to meaning. It creates a precise fit between the
individual and the role, especially when used alongside benchmark profiles created for top
performers in specific functions.
In summary, the iWAM is a sophisticated diagnostic tool for decoding how people are
motivated, how they think, and how they act in the workplace. It empowers users to move
beyond surface behavior to the deeper mental models that drive performance, fulfillment,
and alignment.
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Our team at Living & Loving Inquiry
Mike R Jay & Gary Gile
Founders @ The NEW LeadU
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You, Me, and We @LeadU
Mike R. Jay is a developmentalist utilizing consulting, coaching, advising and helping… emergent from dynamic inquiry as a means to cue, scaffold, support, lift, and protect; offering inspiration to aspiring leaders who are interested in humaning where being, doing, having, becoming, contributing, relating, guiding to produce resilience and wellth help people lead generative lives.
