Did You Know – You CAN Motivate Without Money

By: Dr. Michael Abelson

Yes, almost everyone is motivated by money, BUT everyone is also motivated by other things as well. In fact, some people are motivated much more by non-financial means. Our motivators report goes into all of these.

Let’s look here at just one motivator that is not related to money. Traditionals! People who are traditional like structure. They like when either people, the job itself, or the culture of the organization give them direction on what to do. They also like boundaries. An assembly line or a job that is highly repetitive are ideal for people who are intense on the traditional motivator scale, there are also firm believers in values and a set of values to give them structure. Highly religious people are also usually traditional, since most religions give us rules to live by and behave by.  

How do you motivate a traditional?

Give them structure.  Give them rules to follow, boundaries that are NOT to be crossed, a consistent and predictable environment or job.  Don’t threaten or minimize their values or their beliefs.  They like a consistent and predictable environment, so match them with a job that offers that and the job itself will be a motivator.

For more insight, go to your report that has the Motivators in it to read more about your or others motivators.  For the best education of Motivators, sign up for our next DISC & Motivators Certification or one of our half day courses on how to use your report for hiring, coaching, managing/leading, or having an incredible team.  

Learn About/Enroll in our

© 2026. Michael Abelson (BA, MA, MBA, PhD) founded The Abelson Group in 1986, is Emeritus (retired) from the Management Department at Texas A&M University, and specializes in communications and over a dozen other human resource areas.

He has spoken to over 1000 business and non-business groups on four continents, been quoted by over 100 newspapers, newsletters, and magazines, and authored over 100 articles, books, monographs, and other publications.  He is frequently invited by the media to share opinions and solutions.

Contact him at abelson@abelson.net or www.theabelsongroup.com to invite him to consult, coach, speak, or for a media interview. 

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