Page 16 - Navy Journal E-Book 7-6-20

Navy Journal 2019

b. Motivation towards better professionalism, and keeping them so, with
appropriate support, encouragement, and recognitions.
A parallel situation to those shown at Figures 2 and 3 can easily be
developed with appropriate substitutes for levels of needs, and associated
attributes, and characteristics to examine the similarities with Maslow’s concept
needs and hierarchy of professional needs in naval officers’ career. For easy
understanding, navalised titles for levels (shown at figure 5), professional
qualifications, suitable job description, and probable rank with length of service
(at its centre) might be used. Thus, the career growth pattern of a naval officer
might be shown as the following figure:

Self Actualisation and Transcendence Needs - National/Strategic command and policy direction
Chief
of Staff
Strategic Qualification Needs - PSO in NHQ, Area Comd/Admin Auth, Higher Defence Management
R Adm and Courses, National/Strategic level policy formulation and executions
Above (over 32 yrs)
- NDC, Dir at NHQ, CO establishments, Opl level policy planning and
Operational Qualification Needs Capt/Cdre (28-32 yrs) executions, higher level specialised national/military management
- AFWC, exposure to planning for execution of higher policy, CO
Tactical Qualification Needs Cdr/Capt (19-28 yrs) OPV, CO FF, CO establishment, operational/tactical level military
management
Unit Qualification Needs Lt Cdr/Cdr (14-18 yrs) - Staff course, HoD in PC, CO in PC, SEO/DLO/ASO in FF,
DD/Staff Officer at NHQ, Staff Officer at Formation HQs

Peer Professional Needs Lt/Lt Cdr (5-13 yrs) - Sea/Harbour watch-keeping, independent duty aboard
PC, top officer aboard FF, sub-dept duty in establishments,
JSC, Specialisation Course

Basic Professional Needs S Lt/Lt (0-4 yrs) - Physical fitness, knowledge and orientation with
naval requirements and practices, basic professional
qualification
Figure 6: Hierarchy of Professional Needs
The lowest level of the pyramid at Figure 5 is about ‘Basic Professional
Needs’, that starts with officer aspirants, the junior most individuals still in
formative training to qualify as officers fit for independent duties at sea/shore.
Notable is the essential expectation from them to be physically fit – which is very
important only at this level. It continues to play a role in all subsequent higher
levels but diminishes in importance by taking a backseat when compared to
needs at that (ie, current) or higher levels. She/he at this level is also required to
be knowledgeable of essentials of naval profession. Her/his skills and
experiences might be commensurate with roughly four years of service.
The next level extending to about 13 years service is about ‘Peer
Professional Needs’, which when attained should enable an individual to
continue enjoying the benefits of having attained the basic needs so that she/he
might next concentrate on establishing her/himself among peers as a usefully

8