Channeling Maslow Into Today’s Ways of Leadership

In a conversation I had with fellow Gen-X team members, we almost had a unanimous confusion about why it takes so much to nurture the new breed of employees at this point. Back then, we were pre-wired to do what our job entails us to do, not so much with a tap at the back, but as long as we get our salaries, we were okay anyway. 

But right now, in a world where the work population of millennials and upcoming Gen Z employees are dominant, HR and the management seem to be always looking into all aspects from how one is recruited (no discrimination, no biases, no illegal questions, etc.) to contract to sign to performance management, to movements, to discipline, to engagement and eventually to exits.

However, if we look at it closely, it’s really not about what generation you belong in. Remember Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? 

First, you have to satisfy the basic needs to be able to satisfy the psychological needs and then the self-fulfillment needs. And this goes all across generations. Regardless of what year you are from, we all have needs we need to satiate. 

In a company that I am working for where attrition is something we are closely looking into as one of HR’s key result areas, there was a murmur of having not enough compensation and benefits as the reason why people are leaving. As I knew we just had a company-wide salary increase a few months back, I knew there was something more than just salary issues. I then conducted a company-wide Climate Survey to deep dive into these issues. 

The result? Compensation and Benefits happen to be the bottom issues. The topmost issue was “Involvement and Belongingness”. Comments such as the following surfaced on the results: 

“It was my birthday and my boss failed to greet me”;

“I wasn’t given enough freedom to pitch in on departmental decisions”, 

“I feel like my efforts are not being acknowledged”. 

“One of my officemates had her last day at work and nobody cared to bid her farewell.”

My grandfather would have rolled in his grave, reading his comments. However, come to think of it, these comments do make sense. Little things that go unattended will have a deeper impact in the long run. 

Based on the survey results, we can deduce that people’s basic needs and safety needs, according to Maslow were already met (probably because of the recent salary increase). And because these bottom needs are already met, the people in the organization are needing something more than just the basics—and that is to feel like they belong (love/belongingness/involvement). 

And just to channel Maslow’s needs, here are some leadership action plans we have reminded our team members, and most especially our leadership team: 

1. Treat employees right.

Show people that you care for them more than what they can offer 8-5 or whatever shift they are from. It doesn’t have to be much and you don’t have to be overly attentive or too caring to show people that you value them. For example, if your subordinate or officemate has a loved one who is sick or who just died, pick up that phone you are paying gazillions for, and use it to call that officemate. No amount of flowers or cards or money can compare to the sincerity in your voice and the effort that you made to check if he/she is okay. Employees will never forget that gesture. 

Remember, true leadership starts with empathy. 

2. Respect begets respect.

If you feel frustrated with people coming in late because they don’t respect your time, then make sure that you are on time yourself and respect their time, too. You cannot demand from someone something that has been denied to them.  Also, if you approved a leave of absence, try not to call that person every now and then to talk about work. While there are times that you may really need to call them, be apologetic and try to do it less often. When employees feel that their personal time is not respected, whatever else they do to build relationships will be deemed as superficial. 

3. Put the “WE” in Action.

In leadership seminars, it was always taught that we shall always use “We” when talking about goals, etc. However, talk is cheap and it means nothing if you don’t put it into action. Connect with your team. Open your doors, take at least 1 hour per day to talk with your team, or maybe have lunch with them or have pizza when a departmental goal is achieved. Get to know your team members personally, like the names of their partners, pets, etc. They say that it is lonely at the top. Well, I daresay, come down and mingle with those at the bottom. It’s much fun, and it creates a bond that will shape camaraderie and loyalty. Leadership is not about position or title. It is action and example. 

4. Command Responsibility.

One of the biases during performance evaluation is the recency effect.  When you hear something bad recently said about an employee, the tendency is you focus on this recent news and forget about everything good about the employee. Do not jump in right away. Try to get the facts straight and reflect, “Did you do everything you could to support this employee or teach this employee?” A leader is as good as each of his/her team members. If one is weak, instead of pointing a finger at your team member, look at all the other 4 fingers pointing at you and reflect on where you went wrong and act on it. 

5. Give them air.

Breathing on someone’s neck all the time is very frustrating. You hire people because they can bring something to the table and help you. Give them challenges and responsibilities, encourage them to come up with ideas, share them and empower them to come up with solutions. Employees who feel they are trusted are empowered and most empowered team members will try very hard not to let you down or lose the trust you gave to them. 

6. Give equal treatment.

For those with more than one team member, make sure that you don’t dive into office politics and favoritism. Base promotions and credits on objective measures such as performance, etc., and not how comfortable you are with a person. It is very disheartening for everyone involved if there is preferential treatment. Aside from low morale, it can also disband the camaraderie and teamwork you are working so hard for. 

7. Discipline in private, recognize in public.

It’s self-explanatory. Be objective in your discipline and be generous with your thank yous. You can give them Gratitude Post-its, small gifts, and/or recognize top performers. You can even come up with customized rewards such as “Best in Beating the Deadline” or “Best Lightbulb Idea”, etc. 

Leadership is about helping others become the best they can be. They should not be seeking praise for themselves but understand that each person can make a valuable contribution to the organization. 

I saw this quote online “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind, always.” While this is Pinterest-sharing-worthy, this can also apply to our everyday interactions. For me, leadership is all about empathy and passion for people. It’s the little things that we do that count. 

If our workplace is a metaphorical garden, we are its plants, and leadership is the seeds. Creating a place where there is love and belongingness are the rays of sunshine and the water is given to make us grow. 

We spend more than our waking hours at our workplace. Isn’t it reason enough to make it as nurturing as possible? 

Note: This article was previously published in our printed issue of The Corporate, Guide and Style for Professionals Magazine.