Maslow's Triangle and Your Career

In 1943 Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, introduced a theory of self-motivation based on basic human needs and desires. This theory has developed over time and is often referred to as “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”, or “Maslow’s Triangle”. Maslow’s legacy can be transferred into success in business. According to an updated theory of this hierarchy, there are eight basic stages. By going through the eight successive stages of the triangle, one can not only gain personal success, but also help others reach their peaks. Maslow stuck to the idea that one cannot reach the next stage without first satisfying the preceding needs. Throughout the course of a career, nearly everyone encounters the first few stages, but very few reach the top two tiers of the triangle: “Self-actualization” and “Transcendence.” To be truly successful in a career, one must understand and master each layer of the hierarchy.

The first stage is centered on basic physiological needs, such as: food, water, air, and shelter. There is no argument that these are the basis for all human life. Without meeting these needs one would not even be able to obtain a job, much less succeed in a long-term career. These very simple needs must be met in order to move on to the next set of needs.

Next are safety needs. These needs include security, law and order, and stability. Once a job is obtained, one must feel secure in that position before they may succeed. Many individuals reach this plane and stop; once they feel secure in their career they feel they have succeeded. Maslow argues that this is not only short of real success, but merely the beginning of a journey.

Once one feels secure in their career they must begin to network. Maslow’s hierarchy defines this stage as the need for love and belonging. In general, this tier refers to building relationships. Networking is all about building these relationships. Humans naturally gravitate towards like-minded individuals. When networking, one must look for a spectrum of ideas and beliefs; this will help to build stronger individual opinions for the future. Building professional relationships takes time and is a learned talent. Once it is mastered, one may continue to the next stage of growth.
The next logical goal in a career is achievement. Achievement helps to build confidence and self-esteem. Building confidence is important to building a prosperous career. Confidence leads to action, action leads to achievement, and achievement leads to more confidence. This cycle is a vital piece of a successful career. This is also the stage where one begins to master their craft. One cannot flourish in a career without mastering their craft. The important thing to remember is that this stage is never necessarily entirely fulfilled. It ties directly into the subsequent tier of Maslow’s triangle.

In order to master a craft, one must commit to continuous cognitive development. In this stage an individual seeks knowledge and understanding. This step is all about growth. In order to be successful, one must continue to grow throughout their career. This step is arguably the most essential to long-term success. If an individual does not seek constant growth then they are doomed to plateau. Seeking meaning in work is equally important. A career must be meaningful in order to be fruitful. Meaningful work is pleasurable work.

At some point in a career one manages to establish themselves in their field. This is typically only accomplished through fulfilling all the prerequisite stages of Maslow’s hierarchy. Maslow’s next step is described as satisfying aesthetic desires. In terms of career goals this translates to finding work-life balance. The ultimate goal of working is to live comfortably, but what good is living comfortably if one is constantly working? Finding work-life balance is an art and can mean the difference between a satisfying profession and a dead-end job. It is also worth noting that without finding this balance, one will never achieve the success that they are seeking.

Maslow tops off his triangle with “self-actualization.” This is the point where an individual begins to realize and pursue their full potential. A self-actualized person exhibits characteristics like: acceptance of themselves and others, objectivity, being problem-centered (rather than self-centered), and the ability to tolerate uncertainty. Once an individual becomes self-actualized they can achieve more than they ever realized was possible. According to modern psychology, less than two percent of the population will ever achieve personal self-actualization. This statistic is comparable to the workforce. There are very few people who will ever be completely satisfied with their careers and even fewer will be truly successful. It becomes the duty of those who have grasped self-actualization to help others reach that point.

Although Maslow’s theory concluded that self-actualization was the highest plane of psychological motivation, many psychologists believe that there is one more tier that can be achieved. This final tier is labeled as transcendence needs. In this stage of the career an individual begins to understand that their success is dependent on the success of others. In order to reach one’s full potential they must help someone else reach theirs. Lee Iacocca once said, “In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something else.” By teaching others how to reach their potential, we are exceeding ours.