In 1943 Abraham Maslow wrote a paper called “A Theory of Human Motivation”. You've probably already heard about this world-famous motivational theory. Maslow used Psychology to explain human behaviours and motivations. At The Happiness Index, we like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. However, we felt it needed modernising to reflect the advancements in science and we wanted to apply it to the world of work to help organisations create a thriving culture.
Let's begin by getting to know Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, before I show you the advances in science which have led to our new model.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s paper, “A Theory of Human Motivation” is a motivational theory backed by psychology. It contains 5 levels of human needs. These are:
- Physiological
- Safety
- Love/Belonging
- Esteem
- Self Actualisation.
These needs are broken into ‘Deficiency Needs’ and ‘Growth Needs’. The theory suggests the Deficiency Needs must be satisfied before a person moves on to focusing on their Growth Needs. These needs are visualised in a hierarchy:
Deficiency Needs are focused on what we don’t have and motivate people when they are unmet. When a Deficiency Need is satisfied people start to focus on the next need. However, the desire for a Growth Need may become stronger once an individual focuses on it. These Growth Needs are created by our human desire to grow and once we start to experience this growth we achieve self-actualisation.
Each person has the ability to progress through the hierarchy, with their progress being accelerated or stalled based upon their experiences and circumstances.
So far so good. However, Maslow’s hierarchy was created in 1943 and in recent times has been criticised for being too simplistic. The assertion that the higher levels of the hierarchy only interest us once we have fully satisfied earlier needs is not valid.
The Neuroscience of motivation
Since 1943 there has been a host of new thinking. Particularly in the field of Neuroscience. Neuroscience has revealed significant insights about the human experience and behaviour that were previously hidden from us. The development of brain imaging technology has allowed us to observe the live brain in action, and to better understand how and why we react to our human environment.
In short, Neuroscience is a hard science built on empirical evidence and less dependent on highly theoretical models like many psychology based models.
At The Happiness Index, many of us have studied Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in our past. However, we felt it needed modernising. By using Neuroscience we have identified 4 brain systems:
The first area we look at is the Instinctive Brain System and it sits in the Basal area. It is primarily concerned with two needs, commonly referred to as ‘survive and thrive’. It is our genetically programmed response to our environment. It ensures our Safety and looks for Freedom.
The next is the Emotional Brain System which we find in the Limbic region. It enables humans to cooperate as social groups. Its primary role is to create bonds between ourselves and others. These bonds are created through our Relationships with others and Acknowledgement of where we are helping and adding value to others.
We then move on to the Rational Brain System, which we find in our Cortex. Human capacity for rational thought is far more advanced than any other living species and this is reflected in the size and sophistication of the human Cortex. Rational thought is concerned with interpretation and execution, ultimately with getting things done. Its role is essentially practical. We have the capacity for action at a more basic instinctive level, but the rational level is where we establish the rules of execution for the complex capabilities we learn through life. Accordingly, within our model we focus on Clarity and Enablement.
Finally we come to the Reflective Brain System which sits in the Prefrontal Cortex. This is the region where we are able to bring together instinctive, emotional and rational intelligence to create our own sense of wholeness and self. Here we can be imaginative and think of the bigger picture. To tap into this potential organisations need to be able to offer opportunities for Personal Growth and to provide Meaning and Purpose.
A new model
In our model Maslow’s Deficiency Needs are replaced by Happiness and the Growth Needs are swapped for Engagement. So what do we mean by Happiness and Engagement?
Happiness is emotion and feeling. It speaks to the heart and provides energy. Engagement is purpose and clarity. It speaks to the brain and provides direction. By understanding how happy and engaged your people are, you can start to understand how they feel, think and, ultimately, how they behave. This helps you to understand their motivations.
Here is a visualisation of our model:
There are similarities with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that go beyond the fact they are both visualised as triangles. For example, as mentioned earlier Maslow’s ‘Deficiency Needs’ map closely to our Happiness themes and the ‘Growth Needs’ track to our Engagement themes. This is where the similarities end.
Our model is not hierarchical, i.e. you do not have to satisfy a particular theme to move on to the next. The human experience is more complex than this simple hierarchical approach. Therefore, we created a model with more fluidity where each theme is not viewed in isolation. For example our sense of Safety is closely linked to having clarity and a clear direction.
By using neuroscience at The Happiness Index we have been able to modernise Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Our model gives organisations an insight into their people’s motivations and behaviour. By understanding this at an organisational level organisations are able to create a Thriving Culture.