Spatial Representation of Needs
The interpersonal need for Inclusion can be best defined in spatial terms as In/Out. This need concerns the decision, first, as to whether or not someone wants to join a specific group. The criteria for a decision to seek membership center in part on the nature of work being done by the group as well as its reason for being in existence.
The interpersonal need for Control can be best defined in spatial terms such as Up/Down. Authority must be clearly defined. Control must be firmly established. There are those in charge and those who are guided by those who are in charge.
What about Openness—the third interpersonal need? This need can be best defined in such spatial terms as Near/Far. This need is key in the establishment of a caring, supportive environment. We are inclined to be open when it is safe to express concerns and suggest alternative perspectives regarding ways in which the group or organization operates.
With this initial introduction of Will Schutz’ three primary interpersonal needs, we are ready for a more detailed description of each need and its relationship to Trust. I will also explore the proactive and reactive strategies for fulfilling each of the needs and offer case studies that show each need in operation in the search for Trust.
The Need for Inclusion
We are drawn (at least in part) to other people, to groups and to organizations that are inspiring and have a compelling vision—especially if the specific nature of work being performed by this group or organization is closely aligned with its vision and inspiration. If we are in some sense an “outsider” (because of race, ethnicity, gender, age or abilities), then another important criterion emerges: do they want me? Acceptance can be a major factor for many people in our increasingly diverse world of work. Trust requires first and foremost a sense that I am wanted by other people to be part of their life (or at least this relationship or group).
Decisions regarding inclusion and Trust focus on gaining more information about the relationship or group. We want to know more about the other person with whom we might establish a Trusting relationship. We want to know not only about the nature of work being done by a group or organization, as well as the vision it holds, but also about how it operates. What is the nature of its leadership and its priorities? Put simply, we want to know what is happening inside before we knock on the door.
Key Inclusion Questions and Concerns: someone with a strong inclusion need has several immediate “agenda” items when thinking about entering into a relationship or joining a group or organization. How do I find out about this person, group or organization? Illumination is of highest priority: a light of some sort must be shined on the group, for it initially resides in the shadows (operating behind the door). In making decisions regarding inclusion, I need to know about what I might be facing. I must illuminate the relationship, group or organization to the greatest extent possible, while realizing that it probably will not be fully lit until I have established a connection.
As Kurt Lewin (Marrow, 1969) noted many years ago, we can’t really begin to understand any social system until we push it–and it kicks back against us. We operate a bit like a piece of litmus paper that is dipped into a solution and is changed (in color) by this solution, thus revealing something about its character (level of acid content). This is what today, in the behavioral sciences, we often call action science (Argyris, 1985). It is what Lewin original labelled as “action research”. We are finding out about some relationship or institution by seeking to influence or at least interact with it. Thus, we are caught in a polarity: we want to remain outside the door before entering into a relationship, group or organization, yet we don’t really know what we are getting into until we have opened the door and engaged with this social system (interpersonal relationship, group, or organization).
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