The Mall of Human Needs

All individuals have different concerns, purposes and needs. Have you thought about it? These needs can be related to their private as well as to their working life. Some of them are conscious needs but many are unconscious. What we experience as individual resistance of people in change processes is in fact an expression of the belief that their needs are not being fulfilled, or their concerns are not taken seriously. People unconsciously or consciously compare the trade-off between costs and benefits of a change process. If they feel the balance between benefits and costs is positive they are more likely to buy into the change. Understanding and acknowledging their purposes, concerns and needs is the key to getting their commitment for collaboration.

The following table gives you an overview on the fundamental human needs that people have (based on a model of Manfred Max Neef), and the satisfier that go along with them. It can be used as a base of questionnaires, interviews, coaching sessions, team meetings. Treat every answer as a gift and start a dialogue about how a safety net can be built - and how the change programme needs to be suplemented by other activities to provide for what people require.

Questions for Deeper Exploration

• What do we know about the needs, concerns and circumstance of our people?
• What, if at all, prevents people from freely expressing their needs, concerns and circumstances?

• How do all make sure that concerns, purposes and needs of our people are acknowledged, respected and taken care of?

• Where do we experience resistance to change which might be an expression of unsatisfied needs?