Self-Actualization and Why It Matters.

What is self-actualization and why is it beneficial?

Reflections on work that fulfills us date back to the time of Aristotle. Aristotle focused on ethically successful life behavior in terms of eudaimonia.

Before we continue, let's clarify what eudaimonia is.

When we meet someone, we are often asked, "How are you?" Rarely does anyone (besides perhaps close friends) ask us if we are happy. A possible reason is that, perhaps subconsciously, we don't even know how to define happiness ourselves… because it is individual.

The simplest translation of eudaimonia would be happiness, although we often find the "translation" well-being. The concept of eudaimonia itself comes from Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle's scholarly work on happiness.

What do self-actualization and Aristotle have in common? It's simple. According to psychologists Deci and Ryan, eudaimonia refers to individual happiness. The etymology of eudaimonia itself is the prefix eu (good) and the suffix daimon (spirit).

Due to all that has been said, translating eudaimonia as "well-being" (a rather close term today) might be better described not necessarily just as an outcome/goal, but also as the process of fulfillment or self-realization, and thereby fulfilling one's own potentials and living life exactly as we envisioned it.

Fulfilling one's own potential and living life exactly as we envisioned it is enabled by self-actualization, and thus it gives us, if not direct happiness, then reasons for happiness.

A self-actualized person is a happy person

The term self-actualization is found in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It was first mentioned in 1943 and offers insight into employee challenges and engagement (and not just employees, but people in general).

Today, when a large number of companies face high employee turnover, it's crucial to know that an employee will be satisfied for longer and thus remain with the company only if they are engaged. Better engagement ultimately leads to better productivity, less absenteeism, better customer experience, and generally, the company achieves better results. Along with quality employee engagement, the next key factor is feedback.

We often encounter examples of what a company provides to its employees. Paid lunch, free coffee, fruit, juices, a phone, a laptop... However, all this can also be understood as management "clearing their conscience" and will retain employees (for longer) but not in the long term. And it will only apply to some employees. If we want loyalty and long-term retention, what we need is to support the employee in self-actualization.

The fundamental starting point for everything is continuous feedback.

The hierarchy of needs itself consists of five levels.

• Physiological needs. The need for food, water, shelter. In the context of business needs, we can understand this as the need for financial security.
• Safety needs. Once physiological needs are met, a person wants to feel protected, to be free from physical and emotional threats. They want to control their life, to predict situations. They want to know the rules in the workplace, and they want to know that their job and acquired benefits are constant.
• The third level is the need for love and belonging. A quality relationship with others. In the context of work, we can talk about trust in one's team, department... having a sense of community and solidarity. For an employee to feel psychologically safe, it is important to be part of a functional team where they will not be unfairly judged or unnecessarily criticized.
• The need for esteem is the fourth level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which can be divided into two categories: self-esteem and esteem from others. In the context of work, this category can be represented as the need for feedback and continuous learning, mentoring. Fostering a culture of seeking and giving feedback will enable teams to make faster and better decisions, as well as foster innovation. Feedback, learning, and development are not just the employee's responsibility; their immediate manager should take a leading role, and generally, such a way of working should be part of the company's corporate culture.

The last "step" in Maslow's hierarchy of needs is the need for self-actualization.

A self-actualized person is cheerful, self-satisfied, open, ready to learn and teach others, loyal to the company, and ultimately, happy.

A self-actualized person maximizes their potential at work, feels their best in their position, which ultimately makes them motivated for personal development and success. A self-actualized employee is reliable and engaged.

Immediate managers should focus on the skills and abilities of their employees, striving to find them roles that best suit them. For an employee to be self-actualized, they should encounter challenges at work, but they should not be (over)burdened by the job. It is often seen that organizations turn organized individuals into disorganized ones. Good planning of tasks and projects should certainly avoid this.

Achieving self-actualization, according to Abraham Maslow, is the ultimate goal of personal development. When we self-actualize, we will be more comfortable with who we are and what we are. We will be more realistic in everyday situations, it will be easier to develop critical thinking, and we will feel a connection with people in the team and be empathetic.

We could list the qualities of a self-actualized employee for a long time: acceptance, calmness, honesty, optimism, internal moral standards... but most importantly, such an employee will not be aggressive. Unfortunately, aggression can be expressed externally (less often) and internally (more often). In the end, suppressing external aggression will give rise to aggression towards oneself, and that is a path no employee should experience.

In Closing

When an employee feels secure, supported, and has a sense of belonging, their attitude will also affect others in the team (and vice versa). Engaged and motivated employees will create a more positive and engaged workplace culture.

Employers with low engagement rates often experience significant employee turnover.

And so, let us allow ourselves, as company owners, executives, managers, and employees, to "grow" just as our companies grow.