Food Service Solutions

To help us understand individual motivating factors, I turn to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Dr. Maslow lays out five necessary factors that humans need to first feel safe and then to ultimately achieve the best version of themselves. Often you will see this theory displayed in pyramid style, with the most basic level of human needs on the bottom and the other needs ascending up to the top of the pyramid. This is a useful representation because in order to be truly motivated, humans need to have their basic needs met and our most basic needs are the foundation on which to build a successful individual and team of individuals.  

Below is a list Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and how they can be applied to leadership

1. Physiological Needs

• Definition: These are the basic physical needs for survival, think of items such as food, water, shelter, and sleep. Without this need met, humans can not focus on anything else because self-preservation will consume their thoughts.

• Application to Leadership: As a leader, it’s important to ensure that your team has a safe and comfortable working environment. Going one step further, it is the responsibility of the leader to stay in-tune with the team and the individual team members to understand what might be going on in their lives outside of work. If a team member is facing eviction or their spouse was recently laid off and they are worried about making ends meet, it is imperative that the leader take every step possible to help them achieve a baseline level of physiological needs. This might involve setting up a benevolence fund, taking up donations from other upper management team members, speaking with community leaders, or reaching out to area churches and charities for assistance.

2. Safety Needs

• Definition: These needs relate to physical safety, stability, and security in one’s environment. It also includes emotional and psychological security.

• Application to Leadership: Simply put, a leader is responsible to create an environment where their team members feel physically safe, which is preventing bullying, adequate safety gear for the job, and adequate staffing to assist with daily task. Secondly, the leader is responsible to ensure that each member of the team feels like they not only belong on the team but are a valuable member that contributes to the overall success of the team. Leaders should be willing to take as much time as necessary to schedule one-on-one sessions with team members to allow them the opportunity to express and issues or concerns.

3. Love and Belonging Needs

• Definition: Humans have a need for social connection, friendship, love, and being part of a group. Recent studies have shown that the number one reason an employee chooses to stay with an employer, even when offered more money to leave, is that they have a close friendship with someone at their current job and do not want to leave the friend behind.

• Application to Leadership: Leaders should create a sense of community and teamwork. As a leader, you can help employees feel valued by recognizing their contributions, encouraging social interactions, and creating a supportive environment where employees feel like they belong. It is extremely important that as a leader, you make every team member feel comfortable sharing their concerns and ideas. It is inevitable when groups form that individuals with A type personalities will tend to naturally dominate the conversations and interactions. Often times, introverted team members will be reluctant to speak up, but as a leader you should encourage them to do so.

4. Esteem Needs

• Definition: These needs include feelings of accomplishment, respect, recognition, and a sense of competence.

• Application to Leadership: To meet esteem needs, a leader should offer praise, recognition, and opportunities for growth. Often we recommend that leaders assign team members special task or projects that the individuals can own, which gives them a sense of ownership, autonomy, and value.

• 5. Self-Actualization Needs

• Definition: This is the need to realize one’s full potential, engage in personal growth, and pursue meaningful goals.

• Application to Leadership: Leaders can help employees achieve self-actualization by providing opportunities for development, learning, and personal growth. Encouraging creativity, offering challenges that stretch their abilities, and aligning work with personal passions can help individuals reach their full potential. Leaders should also support long-term goals and provide opportunities for employees to engage in meaningful work that aligns with their values and aspirations.

Now that we have a basic understanding of how to motivate on an individual level, let’s look at how teams form and work together.

Bruce Tuckman in his model of group development outlines five stages that teams typically go through as they form and evolve over time. These stages help leaders understand how team dynamics develop and can guide them in managing and supporting their teams through each phase.

1. Forming

Description: This is the initial stage where the team is just coming together. Team members are polite, cautious, and uncertain about their roles and the team’s objectives. They often seek clarity about their tasks and may rely heavily on the leader for direction.

Characteristics:

• Team members are getting to know one another.
• Focus is on understanding the team’s goals and structure.
• Low trust and dependency on the leader.
• Limited productivity as everyone is still figuring out their place.

2. Storming

Description: This stage is characterized by conflict and disagreements as team members begin to assert their opinions, ideas, and preferences. Differences in working styles and personalities often come to the surface. This can be a challenging phase, as tension may arise, but it’s a necessary part of the team development process.

Characteristics:

• Conflict over roles, responsibilities, and goals.
• Team members might challenge the leader or other members.
• Frustration, competition, or resistance to authority can occur.
• Communication breakdowns and misunderstandings may arise.

3. Norming

Description: In this stage, the team begins to develop a sense of cohesion and collaboration. Conflicts from the previous stage are resolved, and team members start to build trust and establish effective working relationships. Roles and responsibilities become clearer, and the team begins to focus on achieving their goals.

Characteristics:

• Increased trust and understanding among team members.
• Establishment of group norms, rules, and ways of working together.
• More cooperation and collaboration.
• Conflict is resolved, and the team starts to function more effectively.

4. Performing

Description: At this stage, the team reaches its optimal level of functioning. Team members are motivated, productive, and work collaboratively toward achieving their shared goals. They are able to work independently with minimal supervision and can handle challenges effectively.

Characteristics:

• High productivity, creativity, and collaboration.
• Clear roles, mutual respect, and trust.
• Team members are highly engaged and take responsibility for their tasks.
• Problem-solving is effective, and the team focuses on achieving their goals.

As you begin to learn about and understand each of your team members on an individual basis, you will be able to better understand and address inter-personal conflicts that arise amongst team members. As you begin to be aware of the particular stage on team formation that your team is going through, you will be able to better understand why they are experiencing particular difficulties and how to best address them on a team and individual level. Throughout the leadership process, it is important to watch for what I refer to coalition formation. This is when groups within groups form. An example is that within your server staff, you notice that there seems to be two groups, one of openers and one of closers. If the leader allows this to happen and go unchecked, they will begin having political campaigns as each group attempts to win the majority vote and gain control over the other.

Thanks for reading and if you would like to speak with someone about team building projects held on-site at your establishment, or trainings to better equip managers to become leaders, complete the form on our contact page and someone will reach out soon. If you are interested in enrolling in having someone from our team at Food Service Solutions LLC, joining your team, check out our Business Mentor package.

Thanks,

RV