當領導要懂這六大心理需求

蘇珊娜·馬德森

項目管理中，僅僅通過金錢或地位等因素來激勵團隊成員是遠遠不夠的。根據心理學家克洛伊·馬丹斯（Chloé Madanes）的說法，人類的行為受六種需求驅動。這六種需求分別是：確定性（Certainty）、多樣性（Variety）、重要性（Significance）、聯系（Connection）、成長（Growth）、貢獻力（Contribution）。每個人都有這六種需求，但對它們的排序因人而異。最主要的兩個需求將決定人們的選擇和行動。盡管這六種需求貫穿人的一生，但它們的相對優(yōu)先順序可能因情況而異，并且會隨時間而變化。

對確定性需求高的人會努力控制項目和項目團隊成員，他們希望一切按計劃進行。當缺乏確定性時，他們往往會驚慌失措、感到壓力。然而，當事情變得過度確定時，他們會感到無聊和缺乏動力。

多樣性使我們充滿活力并全情投入項目工作。許多項目經理之所以從事變更管理就是因為其固有的多樣性。對多樣性需求高的人可能會被認為是冒險者，他們可能會通過制造沖突和危機來尋找刺激。

在內心深處，我們都有感到自己很重要、很獨特和很特殊的需求。因此，沒有人愿意參與一個不必要、沒人關心的項目。但是在項目管理中，要謹防通過消極的方式來滿足自己對“重要性”的心理需求。被“重要性”這一需求主宰的項目經理可能更關注自己的名聲，而不是為客戶創(chuàng)造價值。

“聯系”是指成為一個團隊、一個項目或一種文化的一部分。許多項目經理的內心充滿這種沖突：他們既想成為團隊的一部分（對“聯系”的需求），但同時又想與眾不同（對“重要性”的需求）。

當團隊成員感到自己在進步時，他們是最開心的。我們都需要一件為之奮斗，能夠挑戰(zhàn)自我并促進自我成長的事情。

有些項目擁有非常有價值的目標，可能有助于世界成為一個更好的生活場所，或者至少會對其他人或事產生影響。但當我們埋頭關注細節(jié)時，很少有人注意如何滿足人們對“貢獻力”的需求。

項目經理可通過提問來了解自己和團隊成員的主要心理需求，思考如何通過項目來滿足這些心理需求，從而提升工作滿意度。

The most fundamental aspect of leading others is to first understand the factors that impact your own behavior. By appreciating and learning about the basic human needs that govern the choices you make， not only will you better understand yourself， you will also better understand the people you lead.

Some managers still hold the belief that a few common incentives motivate people – such as money and status – but research shows that we are motivated by a variety of factors and are not as easily swayed as some think.

According to psychologist Chloé Madanes， our behaviour is motivated by the fulfilment of six human needs that go beyond desires and wants. Everybody has these six needs， but the order in which we prioritize them varies from person to person. Our most dominant two needs will determine the choices we make and the action we take， as they are the underlying drivers for achievement. Although these six needs persist throughout life， their relative priority may vary from situation to situation and can change over time.

The six human needs are Certainty， Variety， Significance， Connecting， Growth and Contribution.

1. Certainty

We all have a need for certainty， safety， stability and predictability in our lives. We like to feel secure in our jobs， in our homes and in our relationships. We want to avoid pain and we want assurances that our basic needs are being met. Some people pursue this need for certainty by striving to control all aspects of their lives， including the projects they run and the people who work for them. They want to be as certain as possible that things work out the way they planned and that people do as expected and complete their assignments by the agreed deadline. When we lack certainty， we tend to panic and get stressed. When things get too certain， however， we feel bored and demotivated.

2. Variety

Another human need – which opposes the first one– is the need for variety and uncertainty. When we want certainty， at the same time we also crave change， excitement and new stimuli. Variety makes us feel alive and engaged. Many project managers work in change management because of the inherent variety it provides. Projects are temporary by nature， and the uncertainty is for the most part tolerable because we know when the project is expected to end and what might happen afterwards. Too much uncertainty， however， will bring us fear， while not enough will cause boredom. So the first two needs are pieces of the same pie. If your need for certainty is 70 percent， your need for variety will be only 30 percent. People with a big need for variety may come across as risk-takers and may also seek out conflict and crisis situations to make them feel alive.

3. Significance

Deep down， we all need to feel important， unique and special. We want our life and our work to have meaning， importance and significance. Imagine how uncomfortable it would be to work on a project that is not needed and no one cares about. We can fulfil our need for significance and importance in many ways， positive as well as negative. One vehicle is by becoming a high achiever or by having many people report to us because it makes us feel important， special and wanted. That may also show up as being overly competitive and performance driven. Another rather poor way to get this need satisfied is to put other people down and to elevate ourselves so that we feel we are better than others. We can also signal our uniqueness and difference through particular clothes or unusual hobbies.

4. Connection

Everybody strives for a level of connection and affiliation with people around them and wants to feel part of a larger community. We want to be loved and cared for and we want a feeling of closeness or union with like-minded people – be it friends， family， colleagues， members of a club or an online community. The need for love and connection is based on blending in and wanting to belong and be similar to others in the group. In some ways we could say that its the opposite of significance. If we are 100 per cent connected and part of a team， a project or a culture， we are likely to be encroaching on our need for significance and uniqueness， and vice versa. Many project managers feel this conflict in that they want to be part of the team community， but at the same token they need to differentiate themselves and stand out as the leader of the pack.

5. Growth

As human beings， we all have a need to grow and expand in our personal and professional lives. Many peoples goal is to reach a certain position， a financial target or a particular lifestyle， but when they get there， they become stagnant and unhappy because they are no longer growing. They have reached a plateau， and although there are no apparent reasons for why they need to learn and develop， they have an intrinsic desire for doing so. People are most happy when they feel they are making progress. We all need something to strive for， something that will challenge us to grow and expand emotionally， spiritually， physically， financially and intellectually.

6. Contribution

The sixth human need is the desire to make a difference and to contribute to a greater good. This is the need to help， serve and support someone or something bigger than ourselves in a meaningful way. As human beings， we have a desire to contribute something of value， whether that is manifested through community， family， society or the project work that we do. Some projects have a very worthy cause and may help to make the world a better place to live， or at least they will have an impact on someone or something else. But when we are head-down managing the detail， we may not always see it. Very few people are mindful of how this aspect can help fulfil one of their most basic needs.

According to Madanes， the way to lasting satisfaction and fulfilment is through the last three needs： the need for connection， growth and contribution. If we attempt to reach fulfilment through certainty， variety and significance alone， we will fall short. The problem with a high reliance on certainty is that no matter how much we seek to control our surroundings， we will never be able to gain complete certainty， as we live in a world of constant change. The issue with significance is that no matter where we look， we will always be able to find someone who is more significant than us. If we let out the need for significance dominant， we end up as managers who are more concerned with personal reputation than adding value to the client.

The best strategy for lasting job satisfaction and sustained drive is to recognize that your work is part of your purpose and to look at ways in which your needs can be met by the work you do. True leaders are not just doing a job. They are doing a purposeful job that fulfils their need for growth and contribution.

I invite you to examine the six human needs and ascertain which of them you value the most and how you go about meeting them. I also encourage you to ask the same questions with your team members in mind.

Which two of the six human needs are most important to you？

What are the ways （good and bad） in which you meet and balance these needs？

In which ways can you use your profession to satisfy your need for growth and contribution so that you can increase your overall job satisfaction？

How can you help each member of your team to fulfill their top needs and increase their level of growth and contribution？

Note： This article is an extract from Susannes awardwinning book “The Power of Project Leadership” （2nd edition）. P