03/ 28/ 2002
Each person is a highly complex individual with unique experiences and goals. Psychological studies during the last 30-40 years, however, have shown that every human being has similar basic needs in life. In today's Workshop, contributor Jeffrey Moses shows how understanding these underlying needs can help managers motivate employees to reach their full potential.
Abraham Maslow, the renowned psychologist, found that each human being has "hierarchical needs" that serve as motivational forces. These needs are, from the most basic to the most advanced:
- Physical -- the need for food, air, shelter, and warmth. These are the most basic, "survival" needs.
- Safety -- the need for safety and absence of immediate danger.
- Social -- the need to interact with others.
- Esteem -- the need to be appreciated and valued.
- Self-Actualization -- the need to achieve one's full potential.
Aspects of an employee's work that affect the first three needs on the above list are: an adequate salary, company benefits, management's awareness of safety issues in the workplace, and a sense of job security. Working to achieve these goals gives a certain level of motivation to all employees, but the next two needs on the list can serve as a focal point for managers who wish to inspire employees to even greater achievement.
The need to be appreciated and valued by others (need #4) is for many people just as important as making money. In fact, it has been found that when managers set up employee-recognition programs, or honor certain staff members for their achievements, many workers value this recognition even more than they do the possibility of financial incentives, such as bonuses or perks. It usually costs little to honor an employee for special achievements, so managers should set up regular programs that inspire employees to earn such recognition. Often, a simple phone call from the boss congratulating an employee on a job well done will be worth more in terms of increased self esteem than a generous bonus.
When it comes to need #5, it's seldom possible for someone to feel Self Actualized when not allowed to take responsibility for their own decisions and actions. As employees begin to rise and become more valuable within the company, they should be given progressively more autonomy. Accompanying this, of course, should be increasing responsibility for the success or failure of their projects. Self Actualization implies the development of inner qualities such as creativity, leadership, and the ability to forgo short-term gratification for long-term results that bring lasting achievement. Such qualities seldom develop without the nurturing and encouragement of experienced individuals. This is the role of seasoned managers within a company.
The greatest motivating factor for most employees is the feeling that success in their activities will result in advancement within the company. The possibility of advancement encompasses almost all of the basic needs: greater salary and stability of employment, increased recognition and esteem by others, and the chance for enhanced self-actualization due to increasing responsibility and even greater working autonomy. Managers should always make employees aware that advancement within the company is possible, and is based not merely on years of service but on ability, success of projects, and increasing self-initiative.
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