Needs & Motivations
Think for a moment about who you are and what’s important to you. What makes you do what you do? What makes you get out of bed each day? Maybe you are concerned about where your career is taking you and what your next steps are. Maybe you’re wondering how to decide what kind of work you want to spend your life doing. Maybe you are hungry to learn and grow. Or maybe you don’t really mind as long as you have the means to fulfill your hobbies and spend time with your loved ones.
Consciously or unconsciously, these are your psychological needs. Murray et al. saw these needs as interrelated in several ways. The simplest relationship among them is that some needs are inherently more demanding than others. (This general idea also contributes to Maslow’s hierarchical analysis of motive qualities.) Primary needs generally tend to take precedence over secondary needs (the need for food, for instance, is more demanding than the need for recognition). Needs are related in more complex ways, as well. Needs sometimes fuse with each other; so that they are reflected in the same actions. A person who needs to dominate and also needs to nurture, for example, may act in a caring manner that is also dominating and smothering. The simplest way to think about how your needs motivate you is to perhaps liken the process to the biological feeling of hunger. If your needs are met, you aren’t up at night rummaging through the fridge. However, if you are hungry- if that need isn’t met- then you might be. And you might even get creative at scratching that itch.
Inspired by Murray, there is a lot of research that has taken this work into new places and uncovered more about what truly drives us. Most importantly, this is a foundational part of your role as a people manager. You need to understand what motivates your team members, how it impacts their performance and set the conditions for their success accordingly. How, you might ask? Noticing, listening, asking questions…any others?
The Need for Affiliation
Även kallat behovet av gemenskap, handlar detta om en stark önskan om sociala relationer och samhörighet. Att känna sig accepterad och värderad av andra är avgörande för självkänsla och emotionellt välmående. Personer med ett starkt behov av tillhörighet söker sig till gruppaktiviteter, vänskapsrelationer och teamorienterade miljöer.
The Need for Autonomy
Handlar om en önskan om självständighet och kontroll över sitt eget liv. Personer med ett starkt behov av autonomi föredrar att fatta egna beslut, arbeta självständigt och ha friheten att påverka sin situation. De trivs bäst i miljöer där de kan ta initiativ och få inflytande över sitt arbete.
The Need for Development
En stark drivkraft att lära sig, växa och utforska nya idéer. Detta behov stimulerar nyfikenhet, kreativitet och en vilja till självutveckling. De som har ett högt behov av utveckling är ofta individer som uppskattar intellektuella utmaningar, problemlösning och möjligheten att bredda sina kunskaper.
The Need for Security
Security here means getting information and knowing how things are, which provides a sense of stability and control. Having access to safety and predictability is crucial to handle life’s challenges. You can see this need for consistently practicing routines and controlling their circumstances as best they can.
The Need for Achievement
More than checking boxes, a need for achievement involves a longing to accomplish and see results from one’s efforts. Achieving success and recognition for one’s achievements is important for self-esteem and well-being. You can see this need as searching for challenges that can be accomplished with an intermediate level of ability. Too easy or too hard and the person may lose interest.
The Need for Recognition
Receiving confirmation and appreciation from others for one’s contributions is important to everyone in some way. This need is associated with feeling valued and “seen” by others. You can see this need show up in the way people give or receive feedback.
The Need for Stimulation
En längtan efter variation, spänning och nya upplevelser. Människor med ett starkt behov av stimulans njuter av att anta utmaningar, utforska olika miljöer och engagera sig i dynamiska aktiviteter. De trivs i snabbföränderliga sammanhang och söker ofta nya upplevelser.
