Coach Me! Your Personal Board of Directors

11 The Five Basic Needs of Employees. How Leaders Can Recognize and Use Them

Christopher Rauen

Dr. Christopher Rauen, Germany, Senior Coach DBVC/IOBC, works as a business coach since 1996. He is the founder and CEO of the Christopher Rauen GmbH, Chairman Board of Directors of the International Organization for Business Coaching (IOBC), author, editor, and publisher of the Coaching Magazine and the Coaching Tools Series.

Rick, CEO of a software company with 1200 employees, reports to his coach about constant problems between two department heads. Information is not passed on in time, and instead of seeking solutions, they blame each other for the problem. Finally, the situation escalates in an open conflict. Rick is annoyed by the behavior of his department heads. He is not really good at handling emotions. He is a matter-of-fact person and prefers rational solutions. In a joint discussion with Rick, the department heads promise to solve the problem, but the conflict continues behind the scenes. Rick has the impression that the two department heads behave “like in kindergarten.” He wants to know from his coach how he can better deal with this situation.

Such conflicts between employees are a frequent topic in coaching. Managers have to be able to deal with these conflicts and – if possible – help their employees to prevent them. They can only do this if they understand what basic motives drive the employees. Without knowing the five basic needs, the employees’ behavior remains ...