This self-administered application of McClelland’s new classic Thematic Apperception Test could stimulate thinking beyond measured need strength. Suggest they think about the source of that spontaneous story they wrote for this test themselves. Ask that they picture themselves as a living, breathing, behaving body of knowledge. In the moment they look at this picture and create their own story of what they see going on there, they are drawing from this unique body of pragmatic knowledge that forms their selves. 

Themes that are revealed in the TAT are instantly gathered and composed as a compendium sample of how their lives are working with them. Of course, this is only an informal interpretation of McClelland’s landmark methodology to encourage learners to use their imaginations to continue assessing their needs. 

Learners learn in this chapter that they are responsible, sole owners of the inner process that is motivation. This suggested original exercise encourages healthy self-examination of running hot and cold in varying work situations. 

                                        “My Life is an Open Book”

Questions:

1. This exercise follows the Assessing your Needs experience, where they have looked at the TAT picture, created a story about it, then scored the themes that showed up on their story. 

2. The task is to reverse the process by drawing a freehand picture of themselves at work (at school, if they are not currently working). 

3. Conduct this exercise in class to keep it spontaneous (and fun). 

4. Provide plain sheets of paper and something to draw with (colored pencils are ideal). 

5. The only instruction you give them is that what they put in the picture should have a little story behind it, if they were to show the picture to a friend. 

6. The picture can be as simple or complex as they care to make it in no more than 10 minutes. 

7. Ask them to find a partner and spend 15 minutes interviewing each other about each other’s pictures. They should keep in mind that as they tell the little moment of life story from their picture, their partner(s) are reading a page from the “book” that is their life. 

8. Taking turns, the interviewing partner should give feedback on needs themes (achievement, affiliation, power) that they visualize coming through in the picture and in the telling.  The teller should listen, and then register the extent to which they agree with their interviewer’s impressions. 

9. Finally, ask the partners to compare the results of their scoring of the TAT to what each has learned about themselves in producing and discussing their picture. 

10. Offer the chance for learners to volunteer their insights to the whole class, or their teams, from making their “life an open book.” What were similarities and differences in the way this exercise triggered ideas about one’s need strengths? By a show of hands, how many found somewhat close agreement between the TAT results and what they and their interviewer noticed?