Commitment Needs to be a Top Priority!

Commitment needs to be a top priority. This needs to be stressed and emphasized for it needs to be expected from everyone. People need a clear aiming point. Be specific in explaining the standards of commitment that is expected of them to adhere to. State clear and specific expectations. Do not leave room for confusion regarding what high commitment looks like.

Are your people in total alignment with what needs to be accomplished and when it needs to be completed and why it is so crucial that it be finished now? Expectations need to be ironclad. It is time to be totally intolerant of apathy. Weed out the uncommitted. Reward those who try the hardest and contribute the most. People should benefit in direct proportion to their efforts and to the results they produce! This makes commitment count for something, for behavior starts to matter, attitude becomes a big issue, and performance begins to make a real difference to the people involved.

Now I realize this approach might seem a little stern or hardnosed. But we need to remember, tolerating weak commitment doe not serve as an act of kindness. Commitment is not just a matter of words. Commitment is ACTION and a willingness to do whatever it takes! Ownership is closely tied to commitment and taking responsibility plays a big role in this. It is important to assign people responsibility for outcomes and hold them personally accountable for results!

Every person needs to realize that his or her contribution carries weight and has an impact on the outcomes and results that are being produced!
In todays world, career success belongs to the committed. To those who work from the heart ... who invest themselves passionately in their jobs ... and who recommit quickly when change reshapes their work. Strong job commitment makes work far more satisfying. It is therapeutic, too. An excellent antidote for stress and a fine cure for the pain of change. Commitment will empower you. It will bring out your very best potential, and will make you a more valuable employee. Bottom Line: Commitment is a gift you should give to yourself!

Commitment in leadership is more than a position on the organizational chart or supervisory role. Courageous leadership depends on the consensus of a leader and a group of followers to work together. To create a place where people work in common, we need leaders who are willing to open themselves to caring relationships with people, deal with difficult issues, and stick with the vision of a new way of work despite the difficulty.

Assign generous responsibility for results. When you give people responsibility, their commitment grows. It is important to assign your people responsibility for outcomes and then hold them personally accountable for results. You have to wonder why responsibility for outcomes wields such a potent influence on commitment. For one thing, we know it makes a positive statement about the amount of trust placed in others. If you assign people heavy responsibilities, that implies confidence in them, belief in their ability to deliver the goods. Such a move stimulates their desire to prove your faith is wellfounded.

It is also a known fact that ownership is closely tied to commitment, and responsibility plays a role in this. When you give people responsibility for making changes, they are more committed to making the changes work. They own their solutions. They invest themselves more fully in making sure their approach succeeds.

Conscious commitment involves recognizing and responding to a need to find a new way and a better and more efficient way of doing work. It means that we need to begin to look at our work and our relationships with each other, in a new light.