I think it is safe to say that across the world, COVID-19 gave us all a first-hand look at this theory that we read about in Psychology 101 as many of us found ourselves reassessing our needs and priorities. Understanding this theory may provide you the insights that you need to understand yourself, how to connect with others, and how to approach engaging in your community going forward.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation”.
Prior to this pandemic, I was in a really good place, feeling my mojo, and spending a lot of time at the top of the pyramid. Grateful that my basic and psychological needs were met while living a life of first world problems. Only a few months earlier, I was writing blogs about achieving goals and making 2020 a great year.
Whacked right down to the bottom of the pyramid!
It was like a punch in the gut. When the Covid-19 threat began to really materialize early on, I tapped into my primal instincts and scrambling to ensure the basics were covered like food, water, shelter, (and toilet paper). As we were trying to understand what the schools were going to do, understand the decisions for our workplaces, and say goodbye to our favorite venues.
It reminded me of a Tool song called Aenima (a.k.a. Swim), which is about Armageddon. There are lots of F-bombs that I can’t include here, but there
is a verse:
Some say a comet will fall from the sky
Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves
Followed by fault lines that cannot sit still
Followed by millions of dumbfounded dipshits
I mean, didn’t we all feel like dumbfounded dipshits?
Once we determined that our basics needs were met and we realized that this wasn’t going to last ‘a couple of weeks’. The reality really hit that there are so many families that don’t have the luxury of getting their basic needs met.
I will never forget a conversation with Katie as she headed home from her ‘last day’ of school. It started with a list of what else she could get at the store as she headed home. She got very quiet and started crying. She then said, “I’m just so worried about my families.” She works in Title 1 schools, with kids (and families) that rely on free and reduced lunch. She sees their struggles during ‘normal’ times and was fearful of what lies ahead for them. Enlighted again, the consequences of this pandemic won’t be fair or equitable.
Time to Rise Up the Pyramid
Now that our basic needs were met, we shifted gears and mobilized our resources (people, money, and time). Katie, her fellow colleagues, and her family didn’t waste any time creating a plan to help those families in need.
In addition, my Leadership Denver 2020 cohort began to look like a militia of leaders called to action. Hundreds of messages a day to share information on where help was needed in the community, providing resources, and taking action to begin filling holes. I got a first-hand look at how the foundations that are created through great wealth are some of the first ones to mobilize targeted relief efforts alongside civic leaders. I saw non-profit leaders doing whatever it took to continue serving their constituents. I learned that leaders, leading leaders, is a powerful force.
While feeling so fortunate and grateful for my own situation, the reality of the impact this was having on others was getting daunting. I kept falling back to the words that one of my classmates provided earlier in the year:
“You should never apologize for the cards that you were dealt, you just have to do something with them“
Dawanta Parks, LD2020
So in reflecting back, the engagement to help the community is how my psychological and self-fulfillment needs where getting met. This is how I was working up and down the pyramid, by being a contribution.
Moving Forward
So as we forge ahead in this new ecosystem, I also think that we can leverage Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs for insights.
One approach is to move from inside-out. Start with yourself, then focus on how you will connect with others, and then how to engage in the community.
Start with yourself
It might be a good time to reflect and have an honest conversation with yourself on your own set of needs. Not just the basic needs, those ones are easy! But what exploring your needs in all of the levels of the pyramid.
When you look at your belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization needs:
- What needs have changed?
- What needs do you want to change?
- Do you need to reprioritize things?
- Did you discover new behaviors that are positive?
- Did you identify behaviors that destructive?
Is this an opportunity to explore the path to self-actualization through a new lens?
Connecting with Others
As we transition from ‘Stay-at-Home’ to ‘Safer-at-Home’, Maslow’s hierarchy can be a helpful tool in engaging others. In addition to understanding your own needs, you can seek an understanding of where others are with theirs. This provides great insights into their fears, perspective, and intentions.
While many of us have discovered that our psychological needs like connection now require more attention, there are others that are still focused on fulfilling their basic needs like safety. This can be very tricky if you have moved into a different level of the hierarchy and others have not.
For example, my sister and I struggle with crossing the levels of needs when it comes to engaging with my 80-year-old parents as they get ready to downsize from a house that they have lived in for almost 50 years next month. How do you provide the connection, empathy, and emotional support needed during a time of physical distancing, let alone when it requires moving someone physically?
When you take a step back look at where others are on the pyramid and what needs are being met, it helps see where their point of view is coming from.
Engaging within our Community
This pandemic came during a time that it really feels like we love to point the finger, leave anonymous comments, and somehow politicize everything. We spend hours reacting to social media posts that literally took less than 30 seconds to write. (Ok… I’m going to stop here, that is a topic among itself). We will want black and white decisions and answers during an unprecedented time full of gray areas and unknowns.
We will have to balance our own risk equations as we address our needs. We will have to navigate differing opinions with our family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and those random people on the street on how to go about our daily lives. Our own needs are different from others at different times.
The good news is that we are resilient. We have the ability to learn (some faster than others) and adapt. We are surrounded by incredible people that will do whatever it takes to help others meet their needs. We will innovate and explore new models that meet the psychological and self-fulfillment needs.
So wherever you are in the hierarchy, there is no right or wrong answer. You might feel stuck at the bottom or found yourself on top. You may be all over the place! I just hope this gives you some perspective and maybe a tool to leverage going forward.
Stay safe!