This past week I was reminded of the concepts that Maslow described in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” – typically portrayed in the shape of a pyramid. Maslow studied what he called exemplary people such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt and Frederick Douglass, and the healthiest 1% of the college student population. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs described that until basic needs are met, an individual will not be able to focus or be motivated toward their higher level needs.
At the base of the pyramid are Physiological needs. The Physiological needs are the physical requirements for human survival. Air, water, and food are the metabolic requirements for survival in all animals, including humans. Clothing and shelter provide necessary protection from the elements. Many of the residents of Cumberland County experienced a crumbling of their pyramid’s foundation with the lack of power, heat, water and food after the ice storm and subsequent damage.
Once the physical needs are relatively satisfied, the individual’s safety needs take precedence and dominate behavior. Safety and Security needs include: Personal security, financial security, health and well-being and safety net against accidents/illness and their adverse impacts.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
What I saw in Cumberland County and the surrounding area was that once people had their basic needs met and felt safe themselves, they were more than willing to reach out and help others. They were also able to refocus and get back to “work” in whatever way they were able.
Did you experience these principles in your business this past week? Did you reach out to see how those you count on every day were doing, and if their basic needs were meet? In our small work family at the CBI we used technology to reach out to one another. When we knew that the others were safe, we were able to focus on helping them meet their basic needs.
Would you do things differently if we ever have another disaster? We will. We did pretty well, but we know we want to check in earlier next time. I reached Cherry via text before her phone died, but Bonnie was worried about Cherry until I told her that I knew she was OK.
Be better prepared next time. Update your plan. Check in with your work family so that you know they are OK and their basic needs are met and they will be able to focus on getting back to work when it is safe. We have people right here at the CBI that will help you develop or update your plan. On April 1st from 11:30 to 1:00 we will provide a Social Media and Business Continuity workshop. Register now……before the next storm….and have a plan in place to check in with your work family and help them out so that they are able to return to work as quickly as possible.
Stay warm – stay safe – and have a workplace plan!
