From UX to L&D to leadership—why nothing changes until you meet the right need
Ever tried to roll out a workplace change, only to have it land with all the excitement of a damp muffin?
Yeah, me too.
Recently, I was deep in the weeds designing a technology certification drive. that would be rolled out to thousands of tech folk. The goal? Get people certified. The problem? Most people didn’t exactly leap out of bed thinking, “Yes! Today’s the day I conquer that ServiceNow Pro Plus Suite exam!”
So, I started thinking like a behaviour hacker. Not: How do I tell them what to do? But: What do they actually need? Because if you can speak to someone’s deep human needs, you stop shoving change down their throats and instead make them want to take the bite.
Cue Tony Robbins’ Six Human Needs (here’s the breakdown):
Certainty ↔ Variety
Significance ↔ Connection
Growth + Contribution (the two universal needs that sit above the others)
In a change program, someone high in certainty wants FAQs, roadmaps, and guarantees. Someone high in variety wants options, flexibility, and fun side quests.
Change management, learning and development, UX design, EX design, leadership coaching—it all starts here. You don’t need to hypnotise anyone (although… tempting). You just need to know which needs to tickle.
Ask yourself:
Which need is their number one driver right now?
How can I meet that and sneak in one or two others for good measure?
How do I make it feel like their idea to take action?
People aren’t lazy—they’re just busy meeting their own needs.
When you meet those needs better than the status quo, behaviour changes without the eye‑rolling, foot‑dragging, or mysterious “sick days” during training week.
💡 Love Your Work! Takeaway:
Start mapping your change or program against these six needs before you roll it out. Then stand back and watch the “I’ll get to it someday” crowd suddenly find the time today.
by Rachel Sparkes
Exploring Culture, Creativity & Conscious Leadership in the Modern Workplace
Love Your Work!