Being responsible for a team means that a manager has to be aware of what motivates others. This is another area in which your new role may differ considerably from your old one.

It is not enough to tell your team members what to do and expect them to do it. To be really effective, you must appreciate that they have to derive satisfaction from their jobs.

A hierarchy of needs

Of course, people do go to work to earn money, but they expect other things from a job as well. The theorist Maslow suggested that there is a hierarchy of needs that people want to have met. These needs are

1. physiological needs, such as money for food
2. safety needs, such as a safe environment
3. social needs, such as friendship
4. ego needs, such as status
5. self-actualization needs, such as reaching potential

One level at a time

Maslow felt that each one of these levels had to be satisfied before the individual would be able to move on to the next level. For example, people need to be earning adequate money before they worry about status and development.

Identifying levels

As a new manager, you can tell which level of the hierarchy people are at by listening to what they say and observing what they do.

Needs affect people's behavior in different ways:

1. Physiological – People will be motivated to join and stay with a company solely because of the financial rewards.
2. Safety – People will want a pleasant environment in which to work. They also may want high-quality facilities and technologically superior equipment to support their work.
3. Social – People will be influenced to take or keep a job in which they are working with like-minded individuals whose company they enjoy.
4. Ego – People will be interested in the reputation of the company or the status they will gain from working on a particular project.
5. Self-actualization – People will want to have the opportunity to develop new skills and undertake new challenges.

For example, these statements from a group of managers at different stages in their careers identify what motivates them to change jobs or continue in a position:

1. Physiological – "I took the job simply because I needed the money."
2. Safety – "I moved because I wanted to work in a better-equipped environment. The London office provided the ideal opportunity."
3. Social – "I had an opportunity to move last year, but I decided not to take it because I enjoy working with my team."
4. Ego – "I was contacted by a recruiter and the package was too attractive to refuse. There was the opportunity to work on some more prestigious cases."
5. Self-actualization – "I have decided that there is nowhere else I want to go on the corporate ladder, so I am leaving to set up my own small practice."

Motivation varies by individual

It is easy for new managers to fall into the trap of assuming that what motivates them also motivates others. Managers need to listen and respond to the individual needs of each of their team members.

Although Maslow felt that people progressed through the various stages sequentially, individuals may move at different rates or choose to stay at one level for a longer period of time.

Strategies for motivating employees

Knowing the level of need for each individual team member can help the manager cope with and improve employee motivation.

The strategy the manager chooses should reflect the employee's individual needs:

1. Physiological – To motivate people who are most concerned about their physiological needs, a manager will have to recognize that pay increases and bonuses are important.
2. Safety – To motivate people who are most concerned about their safety needs, a manager will have to pay attention to things like improving office surroundings or upgrading computers.
3. Social – To motivate people who are most concerned about their social needs, a manager will need to reinforce the value of effective teamwork. Individuals will want to feel that they are able to contribute to the team.
4. Ego – To motivate people who are most concerned about their ego needs, a manager will need to review the extra benefits that employees receive. The manager may also need to consider the prestige involved in projects.
5. Self-actualization – People who are most concerned about their self-actualization needs will be interested in training or career-development opportunities.

It is important for new managers to find out what motivates each individual. Maslow's hierarchy provides one framework for doing this. Satisfying motivational needs will help to ensure that employees work more effectively.