Here’s a new twist on a familiar theory from B-school that is still valid today as it is applied to Social Media. The social media hierarchy mirrors the original theory beautifully. In 1943 Abraham Maslow published a paper describing the human theory of motivation. It describes basic interdependent stages of human growth through the achievement of psychological needs. Basic at first through personal fulfillment. One cannot achieve higher needs until the basic needs are fulfilled and stabilized. At times one can even “slip” down the needs pyramid or “linger” for certain periods in one’s life. Remember the teen years? I found this graphic by John Antonios which applies Maslow’s theory to our modern “online” needs. There’s plenty of chatter about personal branding which is paired across to Maslow’s Esteem. Quite fitting and in my opinion accurate. Try and gauge where your current track puts you on both sides of this model. It’s a pretty good gauge to understand where you are, and how your planning and goal execution allows you to step up the pyramid if you so choose. If you find yourself on a plateau or feel like you are spinning your wheels, take a snapshot of the moment and try to find your current waypoint on either side of this illustration. It may provide you with a direction to focus on to help break through a plateau. At times, you may have stepped down to cover a base that you missed or inadvertently rushed through. Don’t despair, and carry on.