Consider the fundamental needs of every human being. I'm particularly interested in American psychologist Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs .

Maslow considered physiological needs as primary. Humans have an instinctual desire to survive. We need air, water, and food and will seek to meet these needs first. Hence, the most basic motivation for a paycheck!

Second, safety needs. After physiological needs have been met, everyone strives for personal security, financial security, health, and well-being.

According to Abraham Maslow, the third fundamental need of humanity is love and belonging. After the first two needs have been met, people focus on being loved and belonging to a group.

The fourth need has to do with esteem. People desire both self-esteem and self-respect. The former refers to a "lower version" of status, recognition, fame, prestige, and attention. The latter concerns a “higher version” of strength, competence, mastery, self-confidence, independence, and freedom. This "higher version" takes precedence over the "lower" version because it relies on an inner competence established through experience.

The final and fifth need of all human beings is self-actualization. This regards a person’s full potential and the realization of that potential. People desire to accomplish everything that they can in life. They want significance—to become the most that they can be.

In light of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, which are you focused on with your employees? Most companies concern themselves with only the first two. Those are primary and must always be addressed, but meeting the other three might be your greatest breakthrough for increasing motivation and engagement at your company or organization.

In my next post, I'll discuss some practical ideas on how to meet those needs, especially the last three.