Distinguishing between Wants and Needs in Management Situations
Managers in organizations often have a want that they believe is the best or the only way to solve a problem. Take the manager whose department is expanding its service offerings to other departments within the company. She wants two new staff people to handle the extra workload. In a meeting with her boss and the director of human resources (HR), she discovers that they do not want to bring in new people. As you can see from Table 2.4, there is definitely a conflict at the want level between the two parties.
| Parties | Manager | Boss and the Director of Human Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Wants | Two new staff | No new staff |
| Needs | Provide additional services to meet demand | Maintain corporate headcount and budget |
The negotiation will deadlock if both parties continue to state and defend their wants without getting to the underlying needs. If, however, the parties ask a few key questions, they can discover some latitude in options to meet their needs. Some key questions can be found in the following discussion:
| BOSS AND DIRECTOR OF HR: | What does getting two new staff do for you? | |
| MANAGER: | It allows my department to meet the increased demand. | |
| BOSS AND DIRECTOR OF HR: | How does that help the company? | |
| MANAGER: | If we provide the additional service through my department, we can keep other departments (my customers) from having to find their own resources outside. The quality and security issues alone are worth the cost. |
Exploring other options allows both parties to uncover the real needs of both sides and to reach an agreement without compromising on their needs (see Table 2.5).
| Parties | Manager | Boss and the Director of Human Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Wants | Two new staff | No new staff |
| Needs | Provide additional services to meet demand | Maintain corporate head count and budget |
| Options to meet needs | Temporary help
Consultants Cross-train present staff | Temporary budget
Fee for service with other departments Shift staff resources |
By asking questions, the boss and director of HR surfaced an underlying concern—security—which could be a key criterion in the decision whether to engage consultants or seek an internal solution. In many instances, what one party wants is just the tip of the iceberg. As we know, most of the iceberg is beneath the water level. Effective questioning brings these issues to the surface and enhances the ultimate solution.