Hierarchy of Needs

If you get a chance, I would not spend a ton of time reading the book Organizational Man, but if you have a long attention span go for it and read the whole thing.  If you have a short attention span, read the chapter on belongingness and togetherness.  If you don't like to read, then don't read.  Do something else more productive.

Anyway, it occurred to me while reading this book, that an organization and its people have a hierarchy of needs.  Picture a house with a strong foundation, call it "Sense of Personal Purpose", without a sense of personal purpose, you will struggle to build the strong organizational house.  Then build the walls, call them the walls of "Belongingness." If you do not feel strongly connected to the organization you cannot go far with your "Sense of Personal Purpose"

The beams across the top of the house, call those the "Beams of Togetherness"  You can feel a sense of "Belongingness" with those around you for all kinds of reasons, but without a common organizational purpose, the walls will eventually collapse.

Finally, the roof, call it the "Roof of Results"  Seems like a pretty basic hierarchy of needs, but a model to help you as you navigate the wonders of the organization.  It can become wonderful or collapse right in front of you.

Evaluate the four:
1) Sense of Personal Purpose
2) Walls of Belongingness
3) Beams of Togetherness
4) Roof of Results

How are you doing with the foundation?  You gotta fight for your own sense of clarity around this.