Originated by Abraham H. Maslow (A Theory of Human Motivation, 1943; Motivation and Personality, 1954); Todd Bridgman, Stephen Cummings, and John Ballard traced the familiar pyramid drawing to a 1960 article (Who Built Maslow's Pyramid?, 2019).
Ranks human needs from survival and safety up through belonging and esteem to self-actualization, and shows which unmet level is most likely driving behavior now.
When to reach for it
Appeals to purpose, growth, or recognition keep landing flat, and the team may still be worried about pay, job security, or where it stands.
How it runs
- Name the person or group whose behavior is puzzling.
- Check each level of need, from the bottom, for what is unmet.
- Find the lowest level with a real gap.
- Aim the response at that gap before offering anything higher.
- Treat the ladder as a first read; needs overlap and recur.
Where it sits in SOLVE eX
Go to the source
- A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review, 1943
- Motivation and Personality, Harper, 1954
- Who Built Maslow's Pyramid?, Academy of Management Learning and Education, 2019