Emotional Drivers

There are eight fundamental human drivers. Each of these is based on a human psycho-emotional need. While each of these drivers is present in each individual, they do not have equal importance. Also they are achieved in different ways by different individuals. Every individual has a different order of importance for these eight drivers. We are constantly filling these drivers; sometimes in positive ways, sometimes in neutral ways, and sometimes in negative ways. But we are constantly filling them.
The ranking of these drivers can change with time, based on our environment, our experiences, and especially our traumas. These drivers can also be cultivated either positively or negatively by our environment, our culture, our parents, our teachers, and our peers.

The eight human drivers are as follows:

1.Belonging / Love – Connection from being with others or sense with self

2. Control/Security – Greater ability to maintain security in our lives

3. Diversity/Change – Wanting more, having variety

4. Recognition/ Significance – the opportunity to achieve and to grow

5. Achievement – The need to make progress in our plans

6. Challenge/ Growth – The opportunity to achieve and to grow

7. Excellence – Self satisfaction and pride in things we do

8. Responsibility/ Contribution – The need to contribute

When we understand how people with specific drivers act and react in a group, it gives us the ability to influence that group. We should also be aware that different people with different rankings of drivers will affect us differently. In addition, each person satisfies his or her drivers in both positive and negative ways.

In our daily life, we engage in a number of different activities. Each of these activities has different sets or “clusters” of drivers associated with them, the sum total of which makes up our drivers ranking.

Not all the activities that we engage in satisfy our needs in the same way. Some activities may satisfy only one or two needs, while other activities may satisfy multiple needs. The more needs that an activity satisfies (i.e. the greater the density of the drivers cluster), the easier it is for us to be motivated to carry out the work on that activity.