So what is Maslow's hammer?

If you have not heard of "Maslow's hammer" before, you still may have heard the saying "it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail" (Maslow, 1966, p. 15-16). This is the saying known as Maslow's hammer.

Maslow is talking about our practice becoming formulaic and process-oriented. So whenever a new client comes in, and we get them to complete the O*Net Inventory. We forget to see the client in front of us for who they are as people, and what their unique needs are. As others have said, it is a "human tendency to be overreliant on a familiar tool to the exclusion of other potentially more appropriate tools" (Giangreco, 2021, p. 281). This human tendency is also known as 'solutionism', where we forget "to consider the appropriateness of [our] solutions" for the situation we find ourselves in, and the client we are with (Looi et al., 2021, p. 2).

So instead, let us begin by being client-centred in our practice, and first having a kōrero with our client and finding out what they would like to achieve. We might need a screw driver. Or a polishing cloth. Or a mirror. We might need the hammer, but much later, after we have used our tweezers :-)

Abraham Maslow was a US industrial psychologist who has become famous for his Hierarchy of Needs diagram (read more here). And I think there is another layer to the Maslow's hammer saying: I think our training can also make us blind. For example, sand is likely to appear as: a liquid ingredient to a glass blower; an abrasive to a carpenter; a resting place to a swimmer; a mandala base to a Buddhist monk, and a former mountain to a geologist. Our perspective - our training - can also colour what we see.

Staying creative, staying in the moment and being present with our client can help us, to help our client to see.

Because when we see a client, it is not about us. It is about the person who has come to us for advice. And if we can stay focused on that, we are much less likely to use a hammer regardless of what job we are aiming to deliver.

Sam

References:

Giangreco, M. F. (2021). Maslow’s hammer: Teacher assistant research and inclusive practices at a crossroads. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 36(2), 278-293. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2021.1901377

Looi, J. C., Bonner, D., & Maguire, P. (2021). Maslow’s hammer: considering the perils of solutionism in mental healthcare and psychiatric practice. Australasian Psychiatry, 29(6), 687-689. https://doi.org/10.1177/10398562211005438

Maslow, A. (1966). The Psychology of Science: A reconnaissance. Gateway Editions, Ltd.