I’ve been exploring with Kate Turner, who’s an expert in Motivational Maps, how we create the desire for change when we’re introducing AI into an organisation.
You might know the ADKAR model already, it’s one of those simple but powerful change frameworks: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement.
The ‘D’ for Desire, is where it either takes off… or gets stuck. Because you can have all the awareness in the world, but if someone’s not feeling it, they’re not going to move.
So how do you make people want to adopt AI?
That’s where the 9 motivators from Motivational Maps come in. Each one taps into a deep, intrinsic driver, and Kate and I walked through each of them, imagining how they’d respond to AI adoption. Let me take you through what we discovered.
Relationship Motivators
Let’s start with the relationship motivators: Defender, Friend, and Star.
Defenders crave security. They like stability, clarity, and order. AI might feel threatening, too fast-moving, too unpredictable. Especially if they’ve heard about things like AI hallucinations, they might shut down.
To create desire here, you need to offer reassurance. Show them how AI can reduce risk, improve consistency, and bring more control, not less. Think detailed implementation plans, clear expectations, and a predictable rollout.
Then we’ve got the Friend motivator. These are the people who thrive on connection and community. Their biggest fear with AI? That it makes work cold and impersonal, or worse, replaces human relationships.
So if you want them on board, show how AI can strengthen the team, free up time for real conversations, and support collaboration rather than cut it out. They’ll warm up to AI when they see it as a teammate, not a threat.
And then there’s the Star. They care deeply about how they’re seen, recognition, reputation, standing out. For a Star, AI adoption becomes exciting if it’s a stage they can shine on.
Offer them chances to lead the way, pilot a new tool, win internal awards, or speak at events. Help them build a name for themselves through this journey, and you’ll unlock their desire fast.
Achievement Motivators
Next up are the achievement motivators: Director, Builder, and Expert.
Directors want control and influence. They’re not anti-AI, but they won’t like it if it dilutes their power. So you need to make AI a way to extend their reach, help them make better decisions, own new processes, or lead the implementation.
The secret is to involve them early, not just inform them. They want a seat at the strategy table, not just a training session.
Builders, on the other hand, are driven by tangible outcomes, goals, success, and yes, money. AI adoption has to feel worth it for them.
So speak in results: how AI boosts productivity, sharpens performance, or helps them hit targets faster. If there are bonuses or career gains for early adopters, even better. Builders want to win, so show them how AI gets them there first.
Experts love mastery. They thrive on depth, on knowing more than anyone else. For them, AI can be a double-edged sword.
On one hand, they’re curious, they want to learn how it works. On the other hand, if they feel AI is replacing their expertise, they’ll resist.
To win them over, frame AI as a tool for mastering new territory. Offer in-depth training, give them specialist roles, let them become internal go-to people. If they can own the learning curve, you’ll have them.
Growth Motivators
Finally, the growth motivators: Creator, Spirit, and Searcher.
Let’s start with Creators. These are your innovators, your problem-solvers. For them, AI is fuel for creativity, but only if they still feel like the driver.
If you say AI is doing all the thinking, they’ll back off. But if you say, ‘Here’s a tool that can help you invent faster, test ideas, try wild stuff without budget blowback’, they’ll jump in with both feet.
Spirit types are all about freedom. They want autonomy and hate being boxed in. So if you roll out AI with rigid guidelines and forced use, they’ll resist hard.
Instead, invite them to explore, give them options, and trust them to find their own way to use it. Position AI as something that gives them more freedom by reducing admin or bureaucracy, and they’ll be all in.
And then there’s the Searcher. These folks are driven by purpose. They need to believe that what they’re doing matters.
So with AI, they’ll be asking: does this help people? Is this aligned with our mission? Or is it just cutting costs?
To create desire here, speak to the difference AI can make, to your community, to your customers, to the world. Bring them into ethical discussions. Let them shape how AI is used for good. That’s what fuels them.
Final Thought
So, what Kate helped me see was this: you can’t talk about desire in generic terms. People want different things. The trick is to speak to their motivators, not your own.
If you’re leading AI adoption, think about your team. Where do their motivations lie? Are they craving safety or freedom? Recognition or impact?
And once you know that, start designing your messages, experiences, and incentives to match.
Because when people feel seen and understood, not just trained, they don’t just accept change.
They want it.
And that’s when things really start to move.