How Rotary Meets Our Needs. PART 1

Article by PDG Brian Coffey, Assistant Rotary Coordinator

During a recent presentation on ‘Membership Attraction Strategies’, and another on ‘Opportunities’, I included Maslow’s Theory and motivational speaker Tony Robbins ‘Six Human Needs’. This has fascinated some participants with the relevance to Rotary.

While skimming through Mark Huddleston’s ‘Creatures of Habits’, for the umpteenth time, I found that he mentioned the connection of Maslow’s Theory long before my presentation, with reference to meeting needs, and the physiological needs being reflected in Rotary’s ‘6 Areas of Focus’.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, initially implied that our most basic needs must be fulfilled before we can move on to the higher needs, but these needs can overlap, and move back and forth, with flexibility, based on circumstances and individuals. Once our basic needs of physiological and safety are satisfied (needs that may well be barriers to younger people joining) we move on to psychological needs – our need for relationships and friends – a feeling of belongingness for interpersonal relationships, affiliating, connectedness, and being part of a group. This is how Rotary started.

The fourth level - Esteem needs include, self-worth, accomplishment and respect, while self-actualization needs are the highest level in the hierarchy, and refer to the realization of a person's potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences. This is the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be.

Can you see how this can apply to your members, your Club?

In line with this is motivational speaker Tony Robbins, credited as giving the best TED talk of all time, when he first introduced his ‘Six Human Needs’.

1. Certainty – the need for comfort, stability, and protection for survival.

2. Uncertainty or Variety – keeps us from being bored. Our risk takers and adventure junkies thrive on this.

3. Significance –people want to feel significant…. important, special, and unique, but most importantly appreciated.

4. Connection and Love –a need to feel togetherness, passion, unity, warmth, desire, and love in our lives.

Robbins refers to these first four needs as personality needs. We find ways to meet these by working harder or creating stories to make sense of them. The next two needs are one of the spirit, that aren’t achieve by many people – I believe, nearly every member of Rotary has, does, or can experience these in their service.

5. Growth - We need to feel like we are developing, strengthening, learning, expanding, and cultivating ourselves.

6. Contribution – humans like to give, donate, leave our mark, serve, offer, and contribute to others.

We all seek to meet the six human needs, but for everyone two will stand out – it will be different for everyone, and can change with time, and circumstances….. Just like Maslow’s.