Page 14 - Navy Journal 219

Navy Journal 2019

(3) Listening to own feelings in evaluating experiences instead of
the voice of tradition, authority, or the majority;
(4) Avoiding pretence (ie, 'game playing') and being honest;
(5) Being prepared to be unpopular if own view contradicts with
those of the majority;
(6) Taking responsibility and working hard; and
(7) Trying to identify own defences and having the courage to give them up.

According to Maslow, people with difficulty in achieving lower level needs
(ie, Deficiency Needs) are not expected to be motivated towards higher Growth
Needs. Practical research however showed that not all people are motivated in
fulfilling their needs in that order, and not all individuals respond to the same
motivations. In addition, some outstandingly creative individuals prospered or
excelled in life (ie, self-actualised) with little or nothing achieved at lower levels.
For example, exceptionally creative painters Van Gogh and Rembrandt lived
throughout in abject poverty. The opposite, where extremely rich people are found
capable of little or no creativity, is also true by a far wider margin.
However, generally if our needs are not fulfilled, we are unlikely to
function at the best of our ability. Practical implementation of this idea in an
organisation can provide top managers an insight on how to encourage their
subordinates towards more productivity by keeping them constantly motivated.
Proper understanding of these can enable top managers to devise ways and
means to encourage employees to self-actualise, as self-actualised employees are
likely to work at their maximum creative potentials. The Navy being an
organisation of twenty thousand plus personnel can be no exception.

These discussions bring out following relevant questions:
a. Why or how can a naval officer’s career development be modelled after
Maslow’s theory, especially when that is not above criticism?
b. How an officer might fulfil or pursue those needs?
c. What is the Navy’s responsibility to assist its officers to fulfil their
needs and, if so, how?

d. Can a model for officers’ career development be suggested from such
an idea?

The ensuing discussions will attempt to answer these questions.

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