Maslow in the workplace

At work the employee him/herself defines what is an excellent employee experience and will make trade-offs between the levels:

The base, physiological needs level refers to earning enough to provide food and shelter, plus other basic needs; car and television and a holiday abroad, etc.

The safety level: job for life traded against high salary high danger or short length of job. e.g. oil rig worker.

Social level: job role, comradeship, interest.

Esteem needs: peer approval, public recognition of job-well-done.

Self-actualisation: globally recognised expert, "when I speak others listen"

I have used this to assess the needs of a workgroup and so define the space and behaviours that are enabled that will enhance the groups worth... internally and externally. We can look at each level and ask ourselves... "What is an excellent experience for me/us and what is the actual experience... What do I do about the gaps?

The bottom levels are what Herzberg called hygeine factors.. if they are not present we moan about the lack of... but when we have them we just stop moaning, we aren't motivated by their presence.

Higher up he labelled Motivators... the "things" that really make us feel we are contributing and getting positive reward for our efforts. Again Herzberg suggests there are trade-offs going on across and between levels to create the right mix.. which of course will be culturally informed. One's person's workplace will motivate... in another context it will not work!