These have been extraordinary times. Not everyone is experiencing life in the same way or on a similar timetable. To get or remain on the path forward we need to appreciate and act upon some essential human needs both at home and in the workplace. They are trust, compassion, stability, and hope.
Human beings are amazingly resilient. You only need to read global news or observe your neighbors and coworkers to understand how challenging life can be and how incredible people are in difficult situations.
I believe people are at their best once they have pushed through or weathered the storm. Afterwards they feel self-actualized. What this means is they have feelings of fulfilment in their life and are doing all they are capable of, reaching their full potential. These resilient people are engaged in decisions and are part of solution-finding. They bring this self-actualization to every part of their life and share it with others.
When it comes to the matter of essential human needs in the workplace, we see the full spectrum of attributes and commitments.
Essential Human Needs in the Workplace
Trust
According to Dr. Peter Thagard, PhD, when there is trust in a work environment, the employees believe their coworkers and supervisor will behave in a certain way. Dependability is an important part of building trust. It can be as basic as showing up on time or as serious as knowing when your boss says you will have a job, you won’t be laid off.
Employees who have trust share a feeling of confidence and a sense of securitythat their health and welfare is being taken into consideration first — not as an afterthought. As a leader, maintaining trust in challenging situations can be difficult because the needle keeps moving. Trustworthy leaders communicate succinctly and often. When unsuspected events occur, or changes are made, leaders are honest and open. The message “It’s okay, I’ve got your back” is asking for trust.
Without trust there is little assurance things will move forward. Staff retention will be challenged, and the organization’s reputation tarnished. Trust is one of the essential human needs at home and in the workplace.
Compassion
Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” It is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering.
For an organization to move forward it must understand what is holding it back. During challenging times this often is a lack of compassion. If you do not care or understand what is weighing people down or how they are experiencing the problem at hand, how can you help them, and the company, progress?
The workplace is not a charity and only has a limited responsibility and desire to be involved in the lives of their employees. That is what all sides want. But the workplace is also made up of human beings who have needs and bring their whole selves to the office. Showing compassion brings humanity to the work at hand and increases understanding of the what and why. There are too many examples of an absence of compassion and not enough of giving it. The pandemic challenged all of us to demonstrate how we feel as well as motivated us to intervene. Many of us acted with compassion.
Stability
Personal stability is characterized by appropriate and well-thought-out decisions, consistent behavior, and moderate mood swings. It is hard to measure and easier to identify when not present. Many believe it is the key to professional success, though we have all known or worked for people who would not be described as stable. When leaders lack stability, everyone works in fear and becomes hypervigilant. They walk on eggshells with work conversations generally focused on measuring the mood temperature of the boss.
What I call the good father/mother leader is one who has and demonstrates the positive aspects of good mental health and stability. They can be demanding, opinionated, with big egos but they are consistent, measured, never impulsive, and most important, adult. Many people like working for and with them. Everyone’s energy is focused on the job, not emotions, and essential human needs have been filled.
Hope
We all desire the feeling of expectation that good things will happen. This is hope. Barrack Obama ran a successful campaign based on it. In the workplace it can mean the company landing that big contract, finding the solution to a difficult problem or that bankruptcy has been averted. Without hope, workers focus on completion of the task and rarely think things could or will be better. They tend to see the glass half empty and the days as gloomy.
Leaders with hope have the skills and charisma to share their dreams and aspirations. They paint a picture of where the team is today and how things will be better or different in the future. It’s a realistic plan with an excitement about the outcome. With hope the good manager can take negative thoughts and turn them into positive challenges. Group hope has an energy that is hard to describe but easy to feel. There is a suredness that things will move forward, and the outcome will be as wanted. It is a human need and one that should be tapped into more often.
Trust, compassion, stability, and hope are essential human needs. Many are met in the workplace through leadership. To move forward, especially in difficult times, the organization and its leaders need to develop, nurture, stress test, and deliver on a constant and measurable basis.
If you, or someone you know, is having a hard time getting these essential needs or are challenged to deliver them to your team, you are not alone. Many smart, educated, motivated people are searching for the same thing. The difference is they hired me as their coach and we worked on the issue, developed a game plan, and executed it. To learn more, go to my website.
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