Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? I recall learning about it for the first time back in about 7th grade social studies. Still today, I see it referred to all the time in management and productivity books. Even books on project management talk about it.
Starting with the lower-level needs and moving to the higher-level needs, the hierarchy is:
- Basic physical needs: food, clothing, shelter.
- Security: physical welfare and security of belongings.
- Social: sense of belonging, acceptance, friendship.
- Self-esteem: accomplishment, respect for self, capability.
- Self-actualization: performing at your peak potential.
(That’s the best summary I’ve seen; it’s from The Project Management Professional Study Guide, p. 323).
Whether you agree or disagree with Maslow, here’s what’s really interesting: According to Stephen Covey and Rebecca Merrill in First Things First, Maslow revised his hierarchy later in life.
He realized that the highest need is not self-actualization, but self-transcendence — namely, living for a purpose higher than self.
That’s significant. Even Maslow recognized that, ironically, a real sense of fulfillment does not come from seeking simply your own welfare, but from living and doing things for a purpose beyond yourself.
This could be pondered at so many levels. I’m going to make the application to career and management (I hope that’s not a let-down!). One of the reasons people feel a lack of significance in their jobs is because they don’t see how it relates beyond themselves (and their company).
In fact, people today are more and more looking for this connection to wider significance in their jobs. They want to do things that fit a larger purpose and do good on a wider scale than just meeting the bottom line, or accomplishing the next task at hand.
To keep people in your organization motivated — genuinely motivated — keep before them a line of site to the wider purposes that their work serves.
And that’s probably more important to most people than what they are paid.