Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs comes in handy for many different applications.   Whether it is used to draw motivation from a group of students, or workers, to promote the development of individuals in their work environment or to become a better leader.   “From a training or educational perspective, you can use the five levels of motivation that Maslow identified to focus your efforts in encouraging learners to accomplish established learning goals and to reward them for successes”(Lucas,12).   Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is not so much a technique or process to use as an idea to have in mind when you're thinking about how you meet an employee’s or student’s needs.   Maslow's theory is important for two reasons: Firstly it points out that people's needs are not just met by money.   People have many needs which have to be met, and while people may be very well paid, they can still be unsatisfied if these needs aren't met.   Secondly, it gives leaders a whole range of tools that they can use to build team satisfaction.   It doesn’t cost much to provide a safe working environment, have social gatherings where co-workers can get to know one-another outside the work environment, and its free to compliment people on a job well done.   These small tasks can make a huge difference.  
In businesses many managers use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to help improve the quality of their employees work.   “This is what the old U.S. Army slogan of “Be all you can be” was all about. Their premise was “Join us, we provide you with the tools and support to reach your maximum potential.” To this end, as a trainer, you must identify where learners hope to go as it relates to level of achievement in your sessions. Then, help them get there. This can be done through instruction, coaching, mentoring, and providing tools and resources to allow them to succeed in implementing what they have learned in training on the job” (Lucas,12).  
In today’s society we have come to use Maslow's theory for so...