Imagine a team-building trip for a group of managers. The CEO organises a trip into the depths of the forest, puts his employees on trekking bikes and gets them pedalling around a lake. Some are delighted; others grumble about the gear levers, the saddle and the mosquitoes, until finally they deliberately ride over a branch to burst a tyre and get it over with.
A likely scenario? Some love sport and are happy to move instead of sitting in the hotel bar drinking. Others suffer agonies and suddenly come down with flu before the next trip of this kind. In organisations, participants’ preferences should be taken into account on exactly such occasions. In the case above, the CEO simply indulged himself, because he is the one who loves cycling and activity.
Physical activity is part of the culture of “being healthy”. It is promoted and linked to the evolutionary necessity of building physical strength to survive in a hostile environment. The ancients already valued sport. In the past, life forced most people to be physically active every day. Today we have it easier in this respect; many things we need to survive are delivered to us. On one side physical activity, on the other laziness and comfort. But admit it – without a bit of laziness, would the many inventions that make our lives easier today ever have been created and spread? Would we have such comfortable armchairs? In antiquity and the Middle Ages such furniture didn’t exist at all. Today we cannot imagine a home without an armchair.
Physical activity doesn’t often appear in discussions of values. We won’t find it directly in Edgar Schein’s career anchors or in Shalom Schwartz’s circle of values. We can find it in Józef Kozielecki’s hierarchies of values. Heracles was known for his physical strength and boasted of his activity, which is why physical activity appears in the Heraclean hierarchy of values.
Of the scientists cited, only Steven Reiss dealt with physical activity as a value and motivator. Among his 16 motivators, a strong need for physical activity contrasts with a weak need for physical activity – that is, a strong need for comfort and laziness. It can be boiled down to the need to move versus the need to lie down.
How to recognise people for whom a high need for physical activity is a motivator?
They lead an active lifestyle, often play sport or spend their free time actively, walking.
Sport is important in their lives; they sometimes practise several disciplines.
They always find time for activity in their weekly schedule.
Not doing sport for a while makes them nervous and tense.
Even at work they are more active than others.
How to recognise people for whom a low need for physical activity is a motivator?
They spend their free time on the sofa, watching films, reading or relaxing.
Going up to the 3rd floor, they will always take the lift rather than the stairs.
They drive to the shops, even if the shop is only a few hundred metres away.
They prefer a sedentary lifestyle.
At work they can sit over a task for hours without needing to move.
Stressful situations make them slow down and save energy.
What to do to satisfy a strong need for physical activity?
They often choose jobs and professions that promote endurance, strength and physical fitness. They will appreciate workplace benefits such as sports cards, an on-site gym and joint activities with others during team-building events. Given the chance, they will also cycle to work, so a safe place to leave their bike will be a plus.
What to do to satisfy a low need for physical activity?
Their strongest motivator is convenience and comfort, including at work. They will appreciate having everything to hand and not having to run around for things they need for work. They will avoid work involving physical effort, pace and physical endurance. A car park near work, a lift and a location close to home will motivate them. These are the people who will appreciate comfortable sofas and armchairs at work.
How do people who need physical activity see those who don’t?
People with a high need for physical activity see themselves as energetic, fit, strong and leading a healthy lifestyle. They believe they have an athletic figure and are resilient. They look at those who don’t do sport as lazy and sluggish. They see them as apathetic and weak, as well as undisciplined and weak-willed.
People who don’t need physical activity, on the other hand, see themselves as easy-going and relaxed. In their eyes, sporty people are restless, agitated creatures, always in a hurry and prone to injury.
A need or value is not a competency.
Physical activity is a need. It becomes a competency when we develop other attitudes to life related to it. We start living healthily and, guided by reason, take up some sport. But to be honest, it won’t be with much pleasure, and we will quickly stop at the first opportunity. Too much sport, for those who need it, can also overtax their bodies and lead to exhaustion and potential injuries – especially when movement and good sense part ways. Both sides – those who need movement and those who don’t – can learn a lot from each other.
