Security requires structure and clarity
Once upon a time I was an Assistant Language Teacher.
It was a pretty sweet gig, I must admit. I mostly played games with the kids, who were all very cute, my workload was simple, the hours were easy, and I had a five-minute commute!
I was also terribly dissatisfied.
A week after I left that job and joined Wahl+Case, I got chatting with a programmer who’d started his own company, and we realized we had a shared history of teaching English in Japan. Only when I complained, he disagreed completely.
“Oh it was great! I had no boss, no KPIs, the freedom to do whatever I wanted,” he said.
I couldn’t help but laugh, since that was exactly why I’d hated it.
Picture me, a new college grad, no background in English education, going up to the certified teachers with years of experience and asking them what we should do for class—only to be told, “Oh, anything’s fine.”
What do you mean “anything’s fine”? Anything?? This isn’t art class, I’m responsible for the education of children! “Anything” is not fine!!
In my panic, I scoured the internet, reading ESL articles and ALT diaries searching for some kind of structure. Then I designed detailed lesson plans to distribute to the teachers, and prepared backup activities in case something went wrong—but it never did! It always worked out just fine, the kids and I had a great time, and the teachers never complained. In fact many of them seemed surprised that I’d put so much preparation into teaching the numbers one to ten.
But even after two years, when I knew all the activities and had amassed an impressive collection of laminated flash cards, every single time I’d hear the words “Anything’s fine!” from my teachers, I’d stress out all over again.
As it turns out, my Security score is pretty high at 85%—and once I realized that, everything made so much sense. Without the Security of knowing for sure what my teachers expected from me—without having any clear structure or rules to follow—there wasn’t a thing about that job that could make me satisfied, even after I’d done it for years.
Taylor’s Intrinsic Motivator Report
Structural Engineering
When I was interviewing for Wahl+Case, I remember unwittingly revealing my desire for Security to my interviewers. In particular, I mentioned that I was someone who needed a lot of hand-holding and in-depth directions when learning something new, because that’s how I’d perceived it up to that point (both at my part-time job during university and in my stint teaching English).
But I’ve come to realize that, once I have a proper structure set up and the right understanding with my managers, it enables me to work more independently and more efficiently—even when I encounter something that I don’t know the answer to right away. It’s this structure that lets me determine how to proceed, and saves both me and the people I work with a ton of time in the end.
All it took was having a manager who cared enough to set clear expectations for what I have to get done by the end of the week, who could be there to talk if I need to discuss how to achieve them, and who was willing to help me define rules for the myriad scenarios that I might face. With that on hand, all the other things fell into place. This gives me peace of mind way beyond the well-intentioned “anything is fine” from my ALT-days.
What does valuing Security look like?
If you’re highly motivated by Security, you will likely identify with some or all of these needs and feelings:
You appreciate having KPIs, or some other way to track your progress so you can know that you’re doing your job right. Though some people (such as those with high Autonomy) may find these constricting, people with high Security needs generally thrive on them.
You need a clear line of reporting, someone who gives you clear instructions and responsibilities. (And “Being your own boss” may not actually be very desirable.)
You take detailed notes during meetings, and value having things in writing as a reference for later.
You prefer a set weekly schedule, a rhythm you can rely on, mentally prepare for, and look forward to. Especially in a fast-moving industry, having a schedule and sticking to it lets you have the time to be more flexible when something comes up suddenly.
You get annoyed when someone doesn’t do the thing the way we already agreed we’d do the thing. It’s okay to change the plan if what we’ve been doing isn’t working, but let’s talk about it first!
You get annoyed, disgruntled, and even terrified by the phrase “Anything’s fine!” (Even if, like me, you learn to appreciate the sentiment.)
Security Threats
Like all 11 Motivators, Security needs can manifest in ways that can be problematic if not watched out for. These include:
Second-guessing yourself when you don’t have clear-cut instructions. If you find yourself waffling instead of making a decision and acting on it—just make a decision and act on it! Your manager will understand.
Going overboard on planning. Trust me, 1st graders can easily learn numbers one to ten in 45 minutes, and programmers don’t care about dangling participles. Learn what you need to plan out in excruciating detail—and, most importantly, what you don’t.
Difficulty thinking creatively because you’re trying too hard to follow the rules. Sometimes my supervisor has to tell me “Just be creative!” And my work is always so much better once I do.
How can managers help employees feel more secure?
If you have someone in your team with high Security needs, here are some tips to get the best out of them:
Give clear instructions, even if it really is an “anything is fine” scenario. Try briefly describing the parameters instead of using this phrase. Something like “Send 20 messages of 100 words or less” is still concise, but nice and clear!
Leave room for questions. You don’t have to anticipate what clarifying questions your coworkers may have, just anticipate that they’ll have some.
Can you put it in writing? Chances are your Security-high employees have already taken notes, but sending a follow up email recapping what you talked about helps keep you both on the same page, and keeps your employee from having to ask confirmation questions after the fact.
Make solid plans and keep to them; or if the plan needs to change, explain why clearly. Even if it’s just a quick conversation, this can help cut down on the stress of having to plan around something unexpected.
So if you manage or work with someone who has high Security needs, try adding more clarity or structure to the way you interact with them. It might make all the difference!