Episode 62: The Hierarchy of Needs, Maslow, and the Work Environment

Welcome to another edition of “Around with Randall,” your weekly podcast making your nonprofit more effective for your community, and here is your host, the CEO and founder of Hallett Philanthropy, Randall Hallett.

I can't thank you enough for joining me here again on this podcast in this edition of “Around with Randall”. Today's subject comes from an inquiry - a conversation that I had with one of my clients and one of the gift officers that I work with, and they basically asked the question or a series of questions about something I talk about quite often but probably haven't really laid out in a way that makes sense, and that's about this idea of self-actualization. And as I got into it I began to realize I seem to talk about the concept but not about the framework of how you get there and where this comes from and the bigger picture. So today's edition is a little bit of groundwork, probably I should have done long ago about Abraham Maslow and the Hierarchy of Needs with that top portion being or the top part of the pyramid, as we'll talk about, being self-actualization. 

So what is this Hierarchy of Needs? Well it was created by Abraham Maslow who was a 20th century psychologist, researcher, writer, who changed the way many people look at how we go through self-development. Born in 1908 in Brooklyn, growing up there ,always achieved well in school, went off in the in the first part of the 20th century - 1920s or so to college, and from there went on to do some masters work at the University of Wisconsin. Interesting little side story … Maslow wrote his final thesis, which was kind of the beginning in the basis of what would become the Hierarchy of Needs and relationships, and thought it was so bad he went to the library, stole his own copy or the copy that are usually produced there, and even tore it out of the table of contents where you would look up such different thesis opportunities. But his advisor thought it was so good he'd put it back or created another copy. To do so, Abraham Maslow went back and did some further research at Columbia during the depression and as World War II came about he was a little too old with kids and didn't have to serve, but did a lot of research on soldiers and on people and how they dealt with difficult situations. Finally became a professor in 19 - I believe about 1950-51 at Columbia, served there for the almost the remainder of his life with some appointments to various things. He really changed the landscape of what the idea of psychology and self-development is, and in doing so, he created what I mentioned is the Hierarchy of Needs, and those are pretty easy to understand but to apply can be really challenging. 

Really what he said was that the basic premise was you can't move towards the idea of growth self-actualization, realization, self-esteem, unless you accomplish very basic things, and so he laid them out in a reverse order. If you don't have one level you can't go to the second level, if you don't have the second level you can't go to the third. Well, the first level is what he called the psychological needs. Those are really food, water, shelter, sleep, the basic things of just living life. And if we think about those who are challenged with basic safety net issues, the idea of of self-esteem and self-actualization, which we'll define here in a few moments, isn't as important. You're trying to figure out “how am I going to live?” Safety needs come next. 

After that first level, and safety is a sense of security, and it's just not personal safety it's also financial security, job security, when one goes through, maybe they're not doing as well at work or maybe they think they're going to be laid off, a higher level thought process diminishes because you're worried about those things that are most immediate. “How am I going to pay the bills? Do I feel safe in my environment?” If you live in a neighborhood that maybe isn’t safe you worry about that more, so these ideas of the baseline the food, water, shelter, and then into safety those are the first two. 

Then you get into the next level, which is kind of the idea of belonging and love, strong bonds, loving relationships. Whether that's personal like a wife or a husband or a significant other, a partner, to how maybe your relationship with your parents, it's also the relationships you have at work, which we're going to talk about here in a few minutes, which is the tactical piece of today's podcast. So once you get through the loving needs you get to the esteem needs and this is about respect and self-confidence and good reputation and it starts with this idea of inferior, not necessarily meaning less than, but how people view you, how you attract others, respect, or do you their appreciation. And then it moves, beginning inward with this idea of superior meaning. What is it that you look at on yourself? Do you have self-respect for what you do? Do you believe in what you do? Is your self self-worth? so that's that fourth level. The idea of esteem. 

The fifth is self-actualization. This is about morality and acceptance, and acceptance of the world, and acceptance of you to create a real simple paradigm. What I look at is, one way of looking at it is can you look in the mirror and feel good about who you are? Do you feel good about? Doesn't mean you're perfect, but it also is realization where your weaknesses are and can you improve upon them. Self-actualization is this vantage point that, “I’m okay with me, my deficiencies, where I’m at, and I also realize that I can be better and I may chart a course.” 

So where are the philanthropic connections to this kind of thought process regarding Hierarchy of Needs? Number one is, if we think about those baseline leads. I mean, that's you know, certainly during the pandemic food pantries, lots of support, Red Cross. When there's an emergency the baseline things, of food, water, shelter… when we go up a level the safety needs you think about, and this is one that I didn't really talk about with this idea of health security. I think about the work that, like a place like St. Jude’s, which really doesn't even take payment, they depend on the community or communities around the United States to support them because people have a health care concern that can't be met, they don't have the resources or the the connectivity or the the experts to help their children. So St. Jude's is locked into this idea of really building upon this idea of safety in the second level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The idea of the Great Resignation, which I’ve talked about, is kind of fitting into that third level belonging, I think, people coming out of the pandemic are really wondering, “Is this where, what I want to do? Do I belong here? Do I feel a connection, bonds, you know the idea of love, appreciation, and I appreciate it?” 

Interestingly enough, in the the employment survey that Hallett Philanthropy did, and we've talked about a couple podcasts, and there's on the website the whole report, the idea of this concept of belonging is all over the place. “Does my boss appreciate me? Do I feel like I’m accomplishing anything? Am I willing to take a job for five percent more money just because I don't like where I’m at?” And then you look at the macro numbers, all the people resigning and taking new jobs - not just in the nonprofit sector but across society - when we think about self-esteem that fourth level and how it relates to philanthropy, I think about some of the best gift officers I work with, and I’m privileged to to watch hone their craft. They've reached a level of self-esteem, they are confident, they are respectful of themselves and of others, they have a great reputation, they're able to build relationships that are based on the mutual, beneficial principle of someone else benefiting from the work they do. They are the connector between a nonprofit’s great work and of funders’ or philanthropists’ desires to help people. And I can tell when gift officers are struggling that sometimes it's that self-esteem, they've lost confidence in themselves.

Self-actualization to me is all about principal gifts and estate giving. Those that are self-actualized see the world and they see this idea of morality and what am I going to do to make the world a better place. And so I think that we think of principal gifts and estates in that self-actualized level. You might be asking, “What is a description of a self-actualized person?” If you're trying to reach that highest level, you, maybe, you have the food, water, shelter, you have some basic security, you feel love both at home and in work, and you're building that self-esteem. But what do I have to do to be self-actualized? Well many researchers have talked about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and self-actualization as looking at their problems, not through the negative but through the positive. That these are opportunities and there are solutions out there, and if you can reach that solution by not just thinking about yourself, but are there others that would benefit from that solution. 

They have - self-actualized people have a tremendous sense of humor but it's not based on cruelty unless it's self-deprecating. They respect each other and themselves, and they respect nature. They show spontaneity. They're comfortable enough with trying something new, and some people do that very easily. Some people like me - I’m more routine-based but am I able to do when that moment happens, do something spontaneous and then “God, that's pretty cool.” I’m okay if it doesn't go perfect. I’m okay with that. I think the biggest one that I always take away is self-actualized people can can be okay with solitude by, with being by themselves a little bit. I think people sometimes are surprised, a little unfortunately, little inner look at Randall Hallett. My wife would, I think back this up 1,000 percent. I think people are really surprised I’m really more of an introvert than people think. The time I have by myself is very valuable. I love the idea of kind of thinking about my day-to-day, what I did yesterday, what's coming up tomorrow. Do I like what I’m doing? Am I okay with it? Am I okay with me? 

I think people really are surprised because I do a lot of public speaking. I obviously work in an industry from a consulting perspective that is very much outgoing. From a philanthropic fundraising perspective, the first 20 years of my career obviously very outgoing. I’m really introverted in many ways. I’m not sure that I’m self-actualized. I think there's a lot of things I can do better, but I enjoy quiet time. I enjoy those moments where it's just me and my thoughts, kind of the thought process of who I am and what I’m doing. The other thing I would say is that self-actualized people have a very limited number of what I would call, personal, special relationships. There are very few people that, it's not that they don't trust but that they they're very good at determining this is the kind of relationship that's mutually beneficial, that I get something out of it. But most importantly I get to give something to it and I enjoy doing that. Again, only a self view but there are a few people that I trust implicitly. There aren't many. It's not that anyone's done anything to affect that trust, that's just me. And the people that I love the most, friends and family, man, I’m loyal. You got me to the end. And part of that is avoiding kind of the public perception or social conventions and stereotypes, some of that is also bringing back judgments. Don't judge other people. And that's always hard for everybody, including me. So self-actualization is this concept about, again, that view in the mirror kind of, know who I am, I kind of like who I am, doesn't mean I can't be better, I know what those deficiencies are, and I can grow if I choose to attack those deficiencies, get better, educate myself, be be a little bit more transparent as to what I want and what i need to do.

The last thing I’ll say, and we'll get to the tactical about the office environment in Maslow. Why does Maslow work? Well it works because if you think about it, the basic concept is is that you can't go up a ladder in the step. You can't go from basic need to safety, safety to belonging, belonging to esteem, esteem to self-actualization unless you've satisfied that first then that second and that third level. And it makes sense if you don't have food or shelter. You're not worried a whole lot about self-actualization you're worried about, “Am I going to be able to eat?” If you don't have your health you're not worried about self-esteem, you're worried about, “How am I going to get healthy?” And by the way, it's a moving target, so if you are going along and thinking, “I’m doing great,” and a health care episode hits, you pull back, or something's not right at work, you pull back, and you rebuild. The other nice thing about self-actualization in terms of a goal in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is it's not stagnant it's always constant, and it can be helpful in trying to figure out who we are. 

So what does this mean so the tactical? How do we take this into the workplace, particularly in the nonprofit sector? The Great Resignation, lots of people changing jobs, so first and foremost if a person's early on in their career or maybe early on in a job,  they're very much based on on this basic, you know, sociological perspective of food, shelter, safety, and moving into kind of security. Early on in your career you're trying to figure out who you are, what I’m doing, I need a job, I need to get paid. That pay provides rent, mortgage payment, food, transportation, basic things that we live with, but as you evolve you begin to worry more and more about, or be concerned about, or think about co-workers. Do I have their respect? That's that social needs. Now we're moving into that number three level, the sense of belonging. “Am I respected in my job? Do people like me? Do I get along with other people?” And if you do that, then you can begin to elevate into this idea of self-esteem, respect for yourself, respect for the work you do, recognition from co-workers, recognizing others. The tough one in the job environment is getting to self-actualization, and I think there's a legitimate question here that, “can an office environment provide self-actualization?” If self-actualization is actually something that comes from inside, how you view yourself, this idea of morality and acceptance, I’m not sure a job or workforce environment, workplace environment can do that alone. It can hinder it but I’m not sure it can happen. 

But there are some things managers can do to help people grow in that self-esteem and give them an opportunity for self-actualization. It's the idea of involving your staff in decision-making. If you're the leader it doesn't mean you have to abdicate your responsibility, but in many ways by bringing other people's thoughts into it, allowing them to participate, you're giving them a chance to grow, to be self-actualized. If they choose to be, it's also about rewards. And I’m not talking about monetary, just a simple love what you're doing, you're doing terrific. When I think about my son and daughter, and as a parent I spend a great deal of time completely concentrating on what I think of as my atta boys, boy you're doing terrific, i'm really proud of you, that's a great effort,  there are certainly moments where my father comes back through me ,to life, in my existence as a son, and I become the father and I’ve talked about him before. Kind of a military - we have a certain way of doing things - but I really want to concentrate on the positive because my parents concentrate on the positive in me, let me build and grow. So you can do that in the office. Positive reinforcement. So we start in those first few years thinking about the basics and we build from there. 

Why this works in the work environment? Well, let me ask you a couple questions. Will the raise you received three years ago motivate you now as much? The answer is no. Will the job that challenged you five years ago that you're still doing continue to challenge you, make you feel as good as you did when you accomplished things first time through? Probably not. Will the performance, your evaluation or or job update that you received three years ago, two years ago, bring you satisfaction - as much satisfaction today? All of those things are about building a work environment - can help build people towards that idea of self-esteem and self-actualization - and as I mentioned, if you're a leader, a manager, this is an ongoing process. It's not stagnant. It's not fix it and leave it and it'll be okay. It's evolutionary. New people come in. How you handle that - people have been there for a long time - how do you help them grow?

The last thing I’ll leave you with, and this is more of a reflective question, there is no answer. You have to choose what you want to think about. Do you go to work for the biological safety needs or do you go to work for esteem and self-actualization? And that question is more challenging if I ask you, “Have you been at your place of work three years or are you 20 years into your career?” Because if you're doing the work you're doing for biological and safety needs, basic necessities, then the question is, “Are you doing the things you should love to do that you want to do?” I, every day, go to work because I love it. Now, I’m a red-blooded American capitalist, which I tell people, so I charge for what I do. But that's not why I do it. Why do it is because I get to help other people. I get great gratification when I see a client succeed and my name's nowhere on it. And I’ve talked about this before. I look at myself more like Yoda than Luke Skywalker. I used to be the Luke Skywalker trying to fight the good fight. Now, I just would like to teach and make a million Luke Skywalkers make their organization stronger. Are you going to work for the basic needs? Are you going to work because you love it? Ask that question of yourself and that will get you to your typical answers.

I appreciate you joining today, talking a little bit about Maslow and the Hierarchy of Needs. Kind of a look at Randall in some of his thought process, how he looks at the work environment and people. Hope it's helpful to you. A couple other things that might be helpful. Don't forget to check out the blogs on the website. We do this two, three times a week, various subjects, about a 90-second read max at any one time in any one blog. Really finding different parts of the world or or articles or stories or different things going on in my own personal life might, be helpful to you. Also if you could leave a review on apple podcast or ipodcast now or whatever they're calling it Downcast or Spotify, wherever. And don't forget you can watch this on youtube as well, and if you'd like to communicate with me send me an email at podcast@hallettphilanthropy.com. Glad to respond and maybe add it to the selection of opportunities to talk about, subject matters on our different podcasts. Can't thank you enough. Don't forget that my old time favorite saying is some people make things happen, some people watch things happen, then there are those who wondered what happened. We live in a world where there's so many more people wondering and the things we want to have in our community are challenged. They're in this category of they're wondering what happened. There's a challenge. Nonprofit works about making things happen for those things we believe in, those people that need assistance, who are wondering what happened. And if you can't find great glory and a sense of self-actualization, hopefully someday in helping others, I can't help you, because, man there's nothing better in this world than the work we do in the nonprofit world. I appreciate your time today and as always can't thank you enough for tuning in to “Around with Randall.” I’ll look forward to seeing you next time right here on the next edition, and don't you forget make it a great day.