Abraham Maslow gave us the Human Needs Hierarchy way back in 1943, which seems like ancient history but it is still a very relevant model that can be very useful to anyone looking for a path to greater fulfillment in life and work. The theory is that the higher we climb the pyramid or the mountain, (starting with the basics of food clothing and shelter through safety, connection, self esteem and actualization) the more fulfilling life will be. The problem with this model is that most people are not mountain climbers and those lofty heights just seem unattainable or not worth the trouble. Thoughts are a lot like water, they just take the path of least resistance when we try to imagine what kind of future will make us happy and fulfilled. So, when we imagine our future we think of the easiest and quickest path to nirvana, and that four letter word "work" is not included in the journey. After all, isn't fulfillment the reward and not the journey? Unfortunately, that belief that our society has fed us is all backwards because the journey and the work it takes to get from the bottom of the pyramid to the top is as much the reward as fulfilling each level of human need.
So what does this have to do with business and innovation? Well, it is pretty difficult to be an innovative individual or team or business if all you are thinking of is personal needs like food and money and safety. However, when you begin to make human connections you begin to empathize with the needs of others and when you do that, you will begin to see opportunities to serve and invent products and services to fulfill those needs. When you connect and find meaningful relationships and begin to serve then you will find that your service to others (which may be through an innovative product or service) will actually build your self esteem. That happens because you can see the affect of your efforts and how it is making an impact. This in turn can spur you on to even greater effort and discovery of your abilities and so on.
Now, the question is what can you do with this new found revelation about the benefits of climbing mount Maslow? And that answer depends on where you are and the need you are trying to fulfill. If you are a person looking for fulfilling work then don't just look for the biggest paycheck. (That will very likely leave you disillusioned and certainly unfulfilled.) But look for organizations or business opportunities (if you want to go the route of entrepreneurship) that show the most potential to engage all of these needs. Employment that requires the least amount of focus and effort is usually not fulfilling. If you are in the position of supervisor or business owner or team leader then you want to use mount Maslow to help you design your work environment and work processes to maximize worker contribution and engagement from as many levels as possible. If you can do this you will find that innovation and process improvement will accelerate, and change will be embraced rather than resisted because it is a change that everyone has helped create.
So what does this have to do with business and innovation? Well, it is pretty difficult to be an innovative individual or team or business if all you are thinking of is personal needs like food and money and safety. However, when you begin to make human connections you begin to empathize with the needs of others and when you do that, you will begin to see opportunities to serve and invent products and services to fulfill those needs. When you connect and find meaningful relationships and begin to serve then you will find that your service to others (which may be through an innovative product or service) will actually build your self esteem. That happens because you can see the affect of your efforts and how it is making an impact. This in turn can spur you on to even greater effort and discovery of your abilities and so on.
Now, the question is what can you do with this new found revelation about the benefits of climbing mount Maslow? And that answer depends on where you are and the need you are trying to fulfill. If you are a person looking for fulfilling work then don't just look for the biggest paycheck. (That will very likely leave you disillusioned and certainly unfulfilled.) But look for organizations or business opportunities (if you want to go the route of entrepreneurship) that show the most potential to engage all of these needs. Employment that requires the least amount of focus and effort is usually not fulfilling. If you are in the position of supervisor or business owner or team leader then you want to use mount Maslow to help you design your work environment and work processes to maximize worker contribution and engagement from as many levels as possible. If you can do this you will find that innovation and process improvement will accelerate, and change will be embraced rather than resisted because it is a change that everyone has helped create.
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