software team hierarchy of needs

Software Team Hierarchy of Needs

Bill Havanki

People have needs

In 1943, the psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed a theory about what motivates humans.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

•Five levels of needs

•Needs at a lower level must be satisfied before an individual is motivated to satisfy needs at a higher level

•There is motivation for several needs at once, but one need will “dominate”

Software teams have needs too

In order to succeed, a software team also has needs

The goal is for the team to function at the highest level

The idea for this talk

A software team will reach the highest level by satisfying its needs, starting from the most basic and working up

Level 1Physiological

For humans

•air

•water

•food

•clothing

•shelter

For software development

•computers

•networks

•facilities

•development tools

•mission

Level 2Safety

For humans

•personal security

•financial security

•health

•insurance / support

For software development

•version control

•unit tests

•requirements / user stories

•document standards

•coding standards

Level 3Belonging

For humans

•friends

•love

•social connections

For software development

•automated builds version control

•continuous integration version control

•integration tests unit tests

•release / sprint planning user stories

•code reviews coding standards, version control

•design documents document standards

Level 4Esteem

For humans

•respect

•self-esteem

For software development

•automated releases automated builds

•system tests integration tests

•schedules plans

•design reviews design documents

Level 5Self-Actualization

For humans

•self-fulfillment

•realization of potential

•become the most you can be

For software development

•creation of high-quality code

•elimination of many bugs

•accurate prediction of deliveries

•happy customers

•happy management

•happy developers

Level 6Self-Transcendence

For humans and software development

•peak experiences

•identify with something greater than the self

•altruism / service to others

Wrap-up

Social aspects

•Team / management / company culture is just as important to address, oftentimes more important than technology or process

•The purpose of software and ethics surrounding it heavily influence motivation

Overall idea more important than details

•Mapping from human needs to software development team needs is far from exact

•The placement of some needs is questionable

•Principles and ideas of the hierarchy more important than precision

Thank you!

Bill Havanki

•https://www.linkedin.com/in/billhavanki

•havanki4j@gmail.com