Maslow Compass

Most models of motivation still borrow Maslow's ladder: secure the basics, then climb toward meaning. The Maslow Compass replaces the ladder with four directions a team moves among at once — Grounding (stability and safety), Connection (belonging), Expression (purpose and contribution), and Transcendence (service beyond the self). A team can be rich in one direction and starved in another. The compass names which direction a group is neglecting, so leaders stop prescribing more meaning to people whose footing is not yet solid.