Why work? The desires that drive us
Day two of the Amplify Festival and a full house for the session with one of Australia’s leading social researchers, Hugh Mackay.
Most of us were probably there looking for answers… Why do we work? Why do some people work jobs they don’t like? Why do others work when they don’t need the money (lucky them!)? Why are people scared to retire, afraid of not working?
According to Hugh, we shouldn’t be so puzzled about human behaviour. Because the truth is, ‘we are in the grip of a myth that humans are rational beings… and we then get frustrated when our behaviour is irrational’. In reality, Hugh says, our brain is a ‘like a gland – awash with hormones’, and rather, we should be surprised at the times when people do display the ability to be rational, rather than the other way round.
Hugh explained that we don’t do anything in our lives for just one reason. Everything we do is a dynamic, messy, contradictorily interplay of 10 desires that drive us.
While all 10 desires drive every facet of our lives, Hugh touched on seven of these desires which are particularly played out in the workplace.
The desire to be taken seriously. We need to know we exist, that we’re valued, that we’re being listened to. This desire is why good listeners are so valued in the workplace. And why when you feel so bad when you realise someone is looking over your shoulder when you’re talking to them, rather than listening to what you have to say.
The desire for ‘my place’. We all need places that feel like ours, places which symbolise who we are. For some this is our couch at home, a bar stool in the local pub, a table in café… but most people also desire a place which emotionally connects them to work, a place they can make their own. This is why, for some people, hot desks and open plan offices create a certain amount of disconnect and dissatisfaction at work.
The desire for something to believe in. We all desire a framework of values in our lives, values we can live by. If the organisation we work for has integrity, it can form an important part of our value set.
The desire to connect. Not only do we need to feel connected to people around us at work through everyday interactions, but we also use work to connect deeper to ourselves. For some people their work is an expression of their beings due to this deep sense of connection.
The desire to feel useful. The one thing we least want to hear ourselves described as is ‘useless’. Wanting to be useful is fundamental to being part of society. This is the reason that people pull together in times of disaster to help complete strangers… to feel they are doing something useful.
The desire to belong. According to Hugh, we are both ‘herd animals’, and ‘tribal creatures’. We like to feel part of a group, as well as part of something bigger. And as households in Australia increasingly contain only one or two people, our work group becomes our herd. The best workplace contains rich gratification through both a small herd (work group) and the sense of being a part of the company, the tribe.
The desire for control. Hugh believes this desire is the one most likely to get us into trouble. Humans are by nature uncontrollable, the only person we can control is ourselves. So the boss who tries to control a team, or a parent who tries to control their children, are fighting a losing battle. A first-time parent returning to work often feels relief at coming back to an environment where they have control again… control over their own workflow and tasks.
It’s unlikely that many of us have all these desires satisfied on a daily basis, Hugh explained, but if you feel you have something useful to do, you’re connected, and you have a close work group then you’re doing well.
The final thought from Hugh which I’d like to leave you with, is that if a workplace can fulfil some or most of these desires for their employees, the ripples will be felt beyond just the personal lives and relationships of the employees, into a more cohesive and peaceful society. Surely something worth striving for!
Hugh’s book, 'What Makes Us Tick? The Ten Desires That Drive Us', is available at the Amplify Festival bookstore.
Blogpost by Carla Ellerby from the Amplify team @carlaroo