ABSTRACT
This chapter describes human psychological hungers and expands on one of them, called strokes. This framework is useful in informing the coach how to affirm and encourage the coachee in an empowering rather than patronising way as well as provide the filter through which the coach listens for strengths and resilience in the coachee. The three basic human hungers are for recognition, structure and stimulation. The most basic hunger in the infant is for physical contact as a way of recognition. As people grow into adulthood, they still need some form of recognition and appreciation. Another hunger is for structure – having a sense of order and predictability each day. A third hunger is for stimulation – a sense of excitement and novelty. As recognition is a basic psychological hunger, people will rather set themselves up for negative strokes than get no strokes at all.
