This was orginally published as part of an article on callcentrehelper.com
It has its critics – it’s overly simple and it’s 80 years old – but considering your approach through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a useful starting point for productivity [1].
Our physiological needs are met when we’re not hungry, thirsty, exhausted, sick, or freezing. Our safety and security needs are met when we feel that we are protected from physical harm, and our emotional wellbeing, our job and financial security, and our overall health is considered. And we’re unlikely to be able to be productive if those base needs are unfulfilled!
In practical terms, we cannot be expected to contribute meaningfully if we’re unsure that our role is safe, that the processes and procedures that we rely upon might fall over, or that the policies we work within don’t have our wellbeing at heart [2].
If inefficient or clunky operating practices mean that additional effort or perceived unnecessary additional work is required, this can be both mentally and physically exhausting. If we also feel that we’ll be penalized for sickness, this might become an unmet need, and there is an impact on productivity.
Asking questions such as ‘Do processes work correctly?’, ‘Are people paid equitably?’ and ‘Are there enough people to perform the role?’ is a useful starting point to consider whether you’re meeting your agents’ needs and use the responses to address your approaches.
[1] Ștefan, S.C., Popa, Ș.C. and Albu, C.F., 2020. Implications of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory on healthcare employees’ performance. Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, 16(59), pp.124-143.
[2] Peters, J.F., 1997. An empirical correlation of Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs levels and team performance. The University of Alabama in Huntsville.
