If you are reading this you are probably somewhat familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a philosophical theory created by Abraham Maslow in the 1940s and developed for many decades. Other experts have added more “needs” to the hierarchy such as knowledge (cognitive needs), beauty (aesthetic needs), and service to others (transcendental needs). Although these needs may seem simplified, most people discount that they are constantly working on them in the background. 

Some of these needs are met by our family or our social class. If your family is in a high social class you may never have to worry about physiological needs. Some people have to worry about these needs on a daily basis. There are many organizations that exist for the purpose of helping people meet this very basic need so they can move on to the other needs. It’s difficult to get a job if you don’t have an address, decent clothing or a way to clean and groom yourself. The needs certainly do effect each other.

I was talking to a colleague about the KLT report. We were discussing how the report isn’t a “life or death” kind of service, but it made me think about Maslow’s hierarchy and how Important it is for every person to pursue these needs and how KLT is connected to 5 out of 5 of our needs. The “what comes first” question certainly rears it’s ugly head:

1. Physiological needs like shelter, food and water might be available for a while, but could be taken away. Imagine having a great job (employment is a 2nd tier need) and experiencing a downsizing. In 2008 2.6 million Americans lost their jobs due to no fault of their own. (https://money.cnn.com/2009/01/09/news/economy/jobs_december). Many of these people had to start completely over. Many of these people used social services to stay on their feet. The KLT report offers an opportunity to reach out to your closest circles and ask them what you could do better as we move forward. Why do we connect with people if we don’t care what they think? Why do we spend time building relationships not caring if they are built well?
2. Safety and security needs like employment and health are in the next tier. How do people find a good job with health benefits? According to a 2010 survey by the Right Management Manpower Group, 62 percent of North American job seekers found work through networking. (https://work.chron.com/top-5-ways-people-jobs-19108.html) If our networks don’t know, like and trust us, they aren’t going to help us get a job.
3. Relational needs are in the 3rd tier. We might not want to admit it, but fitting is SOMEWHERE is important to each of us, even if we look for groups that appreciate our specific situation. There are over 90,000 “official” trade associations in the US. (https://www.thepowerofa.org/facts/) We look for “like-minded” people who will like us and accept us. Why is Meetup.com so popular? A KLT report may help you determine that you are networking with the wrong group of people! 
4. Confidence and respect are next, in the 4th tier. This could present a roadblock if we’re not networking effectively. We could be overly confident and not know our closest contacts are not as impressed. We could lack confidence when people think more of us than we do. We now have a way to balance out what we think is the case and what is truly going on. A KLT report can give a clear picture of the impression we are leaving.
5. We are all here for a reason. It’s not uncommon for every person to ask himself/herself the question: “why am I here?” Whether we have found our purpose or we are still looking, a Know Like Trust report can help us understand what we are doing well and what we can do a little better. Doctors see hundreds, if not thousands of patients. Shouldn’t these doctors reach out to these people and ask them if them how well they know, like, and trust them? Leaders might think they are leading really well until the company goes bankrupt. Isn’t it better to know how you’re doing while you’re still in business?

So it’s perfectly natural to wonder what kind of impression you are leaving. If you trust the people you network with daily why wouldn’t you want to know what they think?