In this weekly digest I thought I might explore commitment. Defined by some as “a willingness to give your time and energy to something that you believe in, or a promise or firm decision to do something.” I believe it is the secret sauce of successful people.
What does it mean for business?
“Definition: Commitment to work or work commitment is defined as the level of enthusiasm an employee has towards his/her tasks assigned at a workplace. It is the feeling of responsibility that a person has towards the goals, mission, and vision of the organization he/she is associated with.”
In the workplace having a committed team pays dividends. Your motivated workforce shows increased productivity. Commitment builds bonds within the team that help with resilience. Employee retention increases saving costs and adding real value to your bottom line. Not to mention that the fun factor increases, and people tend to push their potential if they are committed to something. What are your team committed to?
What about you? What are you committed to?
I found myself questioning my commitment this weekend. Two different situations made me think.
I felt my commitment was being pulled into question by someone close.
I demonstrated great commitment to a project, which others didn’t seem to care about. Why did I bother?
You all know me; I don’t do things by half. If I say I am going to do something I, do it. I’m committed. This often means I over commit because I get excited about lots of potential ideas and projects. I also like to help people so often commit to something because I know I can add value to them. Putting them in front of myself.
Somehow, I always manage to fit it all in. But does this over commitment lead to a general confusion over what I personally believe in and am committed to? Does it lead to a long-term reduction in my overall commitment levels to the very important things in my life? It’s always good to reflect isn’t it? I wondered if I was becoming a little jaded, whether my constant commitment to others was a positive or negative force for change.
Are your rates of commitment reducing?
Whether in yourself or your team it’s important to spot the sights that commitment is reducing. Small changes can go unnoticed and lead to longer term problems, so here are a few signs that someone’s commitment might be wavering.
Blaming others, finger pointing
Putting oneself first, being very individually focused
Having no confidence in others ability to get results.
Cynical comments increasing
Being very critical of everything, focusing on the problems.
Giving off a false harmony, agreeing with everything and then not moving it forward.
The good news, there are a few things you can do to improve commitment.
Be transparent with people – let others know what to expect from you.
Encourage open and free communication. Give lots of feedback. Chat.
Develop trusting relationships. Spend time with people. (Remember the trust equation)
Build others up; help others develop their strengths, to grow and to innovate.
You guessed it, it’s about building the right relationships with others, whether part of your team, family of friend circle.
Why not take some time this week to review your commitment(s)? When do you go that extra mile? When do you put others first? How do you show it? Get your true commitment aligned to your values and you will see turbo success.
Afterword
For those of you who might be interested my two situations are now resolved.
The someone close and I had a heart to heart. We are back on the same page.
The project – why did I bother? Well because it’s important to do the right thing. The project is good and I said I wanted to be involved. My work ethic won’t let me let people down.
This made me realise commitment is also to yourself. I always commit to doing my very best, that is important to me! Sooooooo, even though others might not be bothered, I go that extra mile because I have to.