Inclusive Innovative Prudent Pragmatic

Introduction

Employee engagement worldwide is heading South.

Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report shows global engagement dropping from 23% in 2023 to 21% in 2024. This is only the second fall in twelve years and is linked to an estimated $438 billion in lost productivity in 2024 alone.

Most employees are not thriving in this picture.
Globally, only 21% feel engaged with their work; 62% report they are “not engaged”; and 17% say they are actively disengaged. Quiet quitting, more sick days, waiting out the week and feeling stuck in roles that drain energy have become common experiences in many organisations.

A clear pattern sits underneath these numbers.
Gallup’s long-term research suggests that about 70% of the difference in engagement between teams links back to the manager. Separate studies show that around one in two employees have left a job at some point in their career to get away from a manager and improve their life, even when they still cared about the work.

This does not place blame on managers.

Managers themselves sit under intense pressure. Manager engagement has dropped to around 27%, and young and female managers show some of the steepest declines. Many feel caught between demands from above, expectations from their teams and little support or training. In that context, both managers and employees experience rising stress, lower well-being and higher turnover.

The hopeful side of this picture is influence.
The same data that highlight the problem also show that engagement improves when people know what is expected of them, receive regular, useful conversations about their work and feel trusted to use their judgement. Research on motivation, including Daniel Pink’s work, points towards three core drivers: meaningful goals, a sense of progress and mastery, and autonomy – genuine freedom to decide how to approach work within clear outcomes.

People join organisations with energy and hope.
They leave managers, systems and cultures that ignore how they work best.

Many organisations have turned to personality tools in search of answers. Personality tends to remain stable across adulthood and does not shift in response to training or new slogans. Labels based on fixed types often leave people feeling boxed in, while expectations around behaviour still change little.

Preferences behave differently.

They respond to awareness, environment and intent. When you understand your preferences, you start to notice how you approach relationships, thinking, decisions and delivery. You also gain language to express the conditions that help you give your best. When managers understand those preferences across a team, they adjust communication, role design and expectations in ways that lift engagement and reduce friction.

Sariio MAPS (Motivations And Preferences Survey) exists for this purpose.
It focuses on four workplace factors:

• Connecting
• Thinking
• Deciding
• Implementing

Connecting and Implementing are the parts of you that others notice first. They shape how you come across in meetings, conversations and day-to-day delivery. Thinking and Deciding sit more in the background. They influence how you process information, weigh options and form judgments before you act or speak.

This report acts as a mirror.

It reflects how you tend to relate to others, organise your thinking, make decisions, and deliver work. It links these patterns with Daniel Pink’s ideas on autonomy, mastery and purpose, and with Alfred Adler’s focus on contribution and social interest – the belief that work matters when it supports something beyond the self.

If you manage others, this report offers a practical framework for understanding what drives different people, so you can work with their preferences rather than push against them.
If you are not a manager, it gives you clear language to express how you prefer to work and what helps you contribute at your best.

The purpose is straightforward: more transparent communication, better alignment and healthier working relationships.

Sariio MAPS gives you the insight to play to your preferences – so that work feels more sustainable, and you feel more engaged and aligned with the contribution you want to make.

Your Sariio MAPS Reflection At A Glance

Your profile brings together Inclusive in Connecting, Innovative in Thinking, Prudent in Deciding and Pragmatic in Implementing.

You focus on people, ideas, responsible choices and workable delivery. You bring others in, challenge how things work, think about consequences and then implement in ways that fit real constraints.

You look for shared purpose, scope for improvement, proportionate risk and outcomes that “work on the ground”. You dislike exclusion, stale habits, rash decisions on big issues and plans that ignore time and capacity. You prefer open discussion, thoughtful challenge, measured decisions and realistic action.

Others often experience you as warm and inclusive in meetings and calm, grounded and solution-focused in execution. Your pattern usually feels like “include, rethink, weigh, then make it work”.

The upside is engagement, improvement and sustainable results.
The risk, if you do not manage it, is lower stretch than the role needs, slow movement on some topics and friction with more Cautious, Methodical, Analytical, Decisive, Thorough, Pragmatic (further towards speed) and Driven colleagues at other poles.

How You Tend To Show Up At Work

What others see: Connecting and Implementing

In everyday work, people mostly notice your Inclusive and Pragmatic preferences.

To others, you often appear fair, approachable and steady. You notice who is involved, who stays quiet and who might feel on the edge. You invite contributions, share information and try to build a sense that people are in it together.

In delivery, you bring realism and flexibility. You weigh goals against time, resources and constraints. You adjust the scope, sequence or method to keep the work achievable. You dislike waste, over-promising and targets that ignore reality.

Under pressure, these visible patterns intensify. You invest more effort in supporting people and explaining changes while also reshaping plans to keep them deliverable. Some colleagues value this and see you as the person who protects both people and outcomes. Others may react differently:

• Cautious colleagues may feel you include people before reliability is proven.

• Driven colleagues may feel you “water down” ambition in the name of realism.

• Thorough colleagues may feel you accept “good enough” when they want higher standards.

• Other Inclusive colleagues may lean on you and leave you carrying the group load.

If you ignore these reactions, you risk reputations such as “nice but soft on ambition” or “sensible but not bold enough”.

What others do not see immediately: Thinking and Deciding

Behind this visible presence sit your Innovative and Prudent preferences. They shape how you process information and reach decisions before anyone sees your actions.

Your thinking seeks better ways to achieve meaningful outcomes. You look at processes, structures, and habits and ask where they could shift to deliver more value, less friction, or both. You dislike change for show and focus on improvements that make a practical difference.

Your decisions balance progress with risk. You think through consequences, especially for high-impact calls. You want enough information to feel that a decision is responsible, but you also recognise that delay carries its own cost.

From the outside, people may mainly see your inclusion and your pragmatism. They may miss how much creative thinking and careful judgment sit underneath. In reality, you combine relationship focus, improvement thinking, cautious decision-making and grounded delivery.

The risk is that you do your thinking quietly, then present a “sensible compromise” that others experience as lukewarm or late.

Deep Dive Into Your Preferences

Inclusive (Connecting)

You approach relationships with a strong focus on inclusion and belonging. You notice who is in the room, who speaks, who stays silent and who seems on the edge. You want people to feel part of the work, not spectators.

At your best, this strengthens trust and engagement. People feel seen and more likely to contribute. You help reduce cliques and build bridges across teams or levels.

Under stress, this preference strengthens. You spend more time listening, checking how others are coping, and filling communication gaps. You try to protect people from careless behaviour and decisions that land badly.

You feel more engaged when people treat each other with respect, when leaders consider human impact, and when results do not depend on fear or exclusion.

Where this pattern may hold you back

With Inclusive, Prudent and Pragmatic together, you often protect people by adjusting expectations.

• You shape goals and plans to what you believe the team can realistically handle.

• Driven colleagues may feel you narrow ambition too soon.

• Thorough colleagues may feel you accept lighter standards so that people feel comfortable.

• Cautious colleagues may feel you open the circle before trust and reliability are clear.

You also risk avoiding direct challenge when behaviour or performance needs it. You soften messages to keep relationships smooth, then feel frustration when nothing changes.

You need firmer lines:

• Which behaviours require clear, simple feedback.

• Where you stand alongside people and where you require them to step up.

• What you will take on and what you will decline or hand back.

Inclusion without boundaries drifts into over-protection and silent resentment.

Innovative (Thinking)

You think in possibilities and improvements. You look at how things work and ask where they could shift to have a better impact, less friction, or both. You question habits that exist mainly because “we have always done it this way”.

At your best, this supports sensible change. You see openings where others see fixed walls. You suggest new routes, designs or methods that feel both useful and realistic.

When pressure rises, your Innovative preference intensifies. You search harder for options that protect outcomes under constraint, more innovative ways to use limited resources or lighter structures that still deliver.

You feel more engaged when leaders show interest in improvement, when ideas receive a fair hearing and when curiosity is not treated as disruption.

Where this pattern may hold you back

With Innovative, Prudent and Pragmatic together, you filter ideas heavily.

• You generate options, then apply risk checks and realism.

• Driven colleagues may feel you are attempting to slow down the process by asking questions.

• Methodical colleagues may feel unsettled if you adjust the route after they have committed to a plan.

• Innovative colleagues who take more risks may feel your pragmatism blunts bigger shifts.

You also risk sharing only ideas that feel fully worked through and safe. By the time you raise them, opportunities may be narrower and others may feel change appears late and already decided.

You need two modes:

• An exploratory mode for rough ideas, where you share early thinking and invite others to shape it.

• A decision mode, where you apply your Prudent and Pragmatic filters to choose what to pursue.

If you bring only the second mode, colleagues mainly experience caution and compromise, not creativity.

Prudent (Deciding)

You prefer decisions that feel responsible and proportionate. You think through risk, knock-on effects and who will live with the outcome. You dislike snap calls on high-impact issues.

At your best, this protects people, reputation and long-term results. You raise concerns that others miss, slow rush towards risky options and ensure that serious decisions receive serious thought.

Under stress, this preference tightens. You look for more reassurance, more information or more support before agreeing to big moves. You hold possible downsides in your mind and struggle to ignore them.

You feel more engaged when leaders treat risk as real, when caution is respected, and when there is time to think before making significant commitments.

Where this pattern may hold you back

With Prudent, Innovative and Pragmatic together, you often sit in the middle of ambition and risk.

• You see how things could improve.

• You see how they could go wrong.

• You see what the system is likely to sustain.

From the outside, this can look like “good points, no clear push”.

• Decisive colleagues may feel you never quite land the call.

• Driven colleagues may feel you slow them down with caveats.

• Analytical colleagues may still feel you are deciding with incomplete data, even after you believe you have checked enough.

You also risk treating decisions of different levels of importance in similar ways. Too many issues receive the same level of caution and delay.

You need a simple decision frame:

• High impact, high risk: deeper thought, slower pace and explicit safeguards.

• Medium impact: enough discussion to feel sound, then a clear direction.

• Low impact: a quick call with room to adjust.

If everything sits in the high-impact group, you stall yourself and others.

Pragmatic (Implementing)

You approach delivery with a focus on what works here and now. You weigh quality, speed and effort against context. You tailor the scope, method and sequencing to what the system and people can sustain.

At your best, this reduces waste and frustration. You highlight gaps between ambition and capacity, steer away from plans that look good on paper and design delivery that stands a decent chance of landing.

When pressure rises, your Pragmatic preference grows stronger. You simplify, trim non-essential elements and protect the core. You give voice to “this is what we are likely to manage in reality”.

You feel more engaged when people are honest about constraints, when leaders back realistic plans and when achievement means progress that counts, not only appearances.

Where this pattern may hold you back

With Inclusive, Innovative and Prudent in the mix, Pragmatic sometimes pulls you towards the safe middle.

• You reduce bold ideas to what feels manageable.

• You lower stretch to protect people.

• You adjust quietly rather than negotiating expectations.

Driven colleagues may feel you take the edge off ambition.
Thorough colleagues may feel you accept “good enough” when they see an important detail.
More radical Innovative colleagues may feel you shrink change until it no longer matches the problem.

You also risk handling unrealistic demands through private compromise:

• Cutting corners internally.

• Informally dropping tasks.

• Carrying extra effort yourself.

Leaders then see delivery and repeat the same patterns.

You need visible trade-offs:

• Which outcomes and standards are non-negotiable.

• Where you will flex, and by how much.

• When you escalate instead of quietly smoothing issues.

Pragmatism without explicit lines looks like routine compromise, even when you are trying to protect people and results.

Conditions And Triggers

What energises you

You draw energy from environments where:

• People feel included and able to speak up.

• Ideas and questions receive interest.

• Decisions consider both risk and opportunity.

• Plans reflect both constraints and ambition.

You respond well to roles that involve:

• Coordination and collaboration.

• Improving how things work in practical ways.

• Weighing risks and consequences.

• Delivering outcomes that make sense and are realistic, more than pure speed or perfection.

You like knowing:

• The purpose and success measures.

• The main assumptions and risks.

• The limits on budget, time and capacity.

• Who decides what and on what timescale.

You feel more engaged when you see that your inclusion lifts morale, your ideas open better routes, your prudence avoids unnecessary harm and your pragmatism keeps work sustainable.

Autonomy matters in how you structure your work, explore improvements and negotiate trade-offs between standards, scope and pace.

Patterns to watch

Several patterns deserve attention.

Protecting people by lowering the “ask”.
You lower goals or soften standards to keep workloads reasonable. The team feels safer, yet the role or organisation may need more challenge than you allow for.

Medium care on low-stakes decisions.
You bring Prudent thought and Pragmatic negotiation to issues that could move faster. Bigger questions then wait for attention.

Quiet compromise instead of open negotiation.
You adjust scope and standards internally so that unrealistic plans appear to be delivered. Leaders do not see the cost and repeat the pattern.

Support plus smoothing.
You emotionally support colleagues, then tidy up around them. The system learns that you will fix, not that others must change.

You do not need to abandon care for people or realism.
You do need more explicit choices about where to stretch, where to say no and where to surface risk and limits.

Working Better With Others

How to work well with your manager

You work best with managers who recognise that you bring inclusion, improvement thinking, cautious judgement and practical delivery. They involve you in shaping work and rely on you to make things happen in a very practical way.

You benefit from transparent and honest briefs. You need:

• Defined outcomes and priorities.

• Context and reasons behind the work.

• Key risks, constraints and deadlines.

• A sense of how much stretch is expected and where there is room to adjust.

Once those elements are clear, you involve the right people, explore options, weigh risks and then deliver in a way that fits the setting.

You add substantial value when your manager involves you:

• Early in scoping and problem definition.

• In checking the feasibility and risk.

• In shaping realistic expectations for stakeholders.

You appreciate managers who listen to your reasoning, back you when you push back on unrealistic plans, and recognise both the impact and the care you take in your decisions.

Where this pattern may hold you back with your manager

If you keep smoothing the gap between ambition and reality on your own, your manager assumes expectations remain workable.

• You trim scope and sequence quietly.

• You pick up extra tasks to avoid disappointing others.

• You feel responsible when something gives, even though the starting plan never matched capacity.

Managers with Driven preferences push for more and faster.
Managers with Pragmatic preferences are more likely to push for speed and favour lighter, quicker fixes.
Managers with Thorough preferences push for more depth within the same timeframe.

If you respond each time with extra effort or a private compromise rather than clear trade-offs, you become the invisible buffer.

You need to say things such as:

• “With this time and resource, here is what we can realistically deliver and here is what will slip.”

• “If we want this level of quality or impact, we need more time or a smaller scope.”

• “Here is the risk profile of this plan and here are safer alternatives.”

That moves responsibility for stretch and risk into shared decisions, not onto your shoulders alone.

How others can get the best from you

Colleagues gain more from you when they understand that you bring inclusion, beneficial change, cautious decisions and workable delivery.

They support you when they:

• Share context and aims, not only tasks.

• Raise risks and constraints early, not at the last minute.

• Are honest about capacity and limits.

• Engage in realistic planning rather than optimistic assumptions.

You help them when you:

• Explain your thinking in clear, simple steps.

• Mark whether you are exploring options, weighing a decision or giving a recommendation.

• Distinguish between must-haves and “nice-to-haves” in scope and standards.

• Share concerns early and invite joint problem-solving instead of quietly fixing.

Where this pattern may hold you back with colleagues

Colleagues at other poles notice friction.

• Cautious colleagues may feel you include people before trust is proven.

• Innovative colleagues who are moving towards bold change may feel you temper their ideas too quickly.

• Analytical colleagues may feel you are making decisions with less data than they would like.

• Decisive and Driven colleagues may feel you slow momentum with risk and realism.

• Thorough colleagues may feel you accept “good enough” when they want higher precision.

• More speed-oriented Pragmatic colleagues may feel you question simple, quick fixes too often.

If you respond by softening your views, you feel under-used and disappointed.
If you respond by pushing harder on realism, resistance moves underground.

You need more explicit, direct conversations, such as:

• “Here is why I think this level of stretch is realistic, and this level is not.”

• “Here is what your preferred route gives us and what it risks.”

• “Here is the compromise I recommend and what it protects.”

That keeps you in the role of a grounded partner rather than a quiet fixer or a perceived blocker.

Everyday Checklist: How To Explain Your Preferences

Use these suggestions as prompts to start conversations, so you play to your preferences with your manager and colleagues rather than working to someone else’s default style.

What to say to your manager

• I do my best work when the outcome, priorities and constraints are clear. Once those are set, I involve the right people, explore improvements, weigh the risks and then deliver in a practical way.

• At the start of an initiative, a short run-through of background, key risks, success measures and non-negotiables helps me focus my ideas and caution on what matters most.

• I tend to ask questions about impact on people, risk and feasibility. That is my way of protecting both the team and the result, not an attempt to resist stretch.

• I value agreement on where we aim high and where a “good enough” outcome is acceptable. That helps me target my effort and avoid over-working lower-risk pieces.

• When priorities or scope change, a brief explanation of why, what moves up or down the list and what success now looks like helps me adapt plans without losing track.

• If you need more pace, it helps to agree on what to simplify, drop or accept more risk on, rather than expecting the same level of care and involvement in less time.

What to say to your colleagues

• I try to include people and share context. If I bring you into a discussion, it is because your view matters, not to overload you.

• I like us to be clear on who is doing what, by when and to what level. Even a simple outline helps me stay organised and keep things moving.

• If I raise questions about risk, impact or practicality, it is to keep our work realistic and avoid rework later, not to criticise anyone’s effort.

• I prefer solutions that work in practice. If the plan starts to feel unrealistic, it helps if we talk early about what we can change, drop, or phase out.

• If my questions or realism feel heavy at times, please let me know. I am open to adjusting as long as we stay honest about risks, workload and standards.

• If you see a simpler route to reach the same outcome, I am interested. Sharing it early helps us combine your pace with my focus on people, risk and practicality.

How this helps you play to your preferences

• You receive clearer briefs, expectations and trade-offs that align with your Inclusive, Innovative, Prudent and Pragmatic style.

• Your manager and colleagues understand that your questions and suggestions support quality, sustainability and useful change, rather than negativity or lack of ambition.

• You focus effort on the right work, protect people and outcomes where it matters most and help the team move from ideas into realistic, meaningful results.

Sariio MAPS: Liberating Conversations

Playing to Your Preferences

Sariio MAPS enables you to express how you prefer to work. It helps you put into words how you like to be briefed, how you prefer to collaborate and what supports you in doing your best work.

Share this with your manager and colleagues so they understand how to work with you, not against you. That means fewer imposed ways of working based on someone else’s preferences and more space to play to your own, while still meeting the demands of the role.

Used this way, Sariio MAPS becomes a practical tool for direct conversations, a better fit between you and your role and a more sustainable, motivating work experience.