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Commitment: It Must Be Leveraged by the Organization

Written by: Roger Ingbretsen

Article Overview: Commitment is that attitude which if employed in an orchestrated strategy, with highly capable well-trained people, and led by obsessive visionaries (leaders), can be the power, which assures success in almost any venture. To be most effective, commitment should start at the top. In his book Firing On All Cylinders, author Jim Clemmer states, “It’s not enough for senior executive team members to be “committed” to service/quality improvement; they must be visibly seen to be obsessed with this as their top priority.”

Commitment: It Must Be Leveraged by the Organization

I would define the word commitment as, “that state of being, which compulsively drives people emotionally and or intellectually – often bordering on unreasonableness – to a course of specific action.” Used in this manner, the word commitment becomes the binding glue, the driving force, which blends solid leadership and teamwork into the dynamic cultural change required to win in the new economy. Without commitment, leadership and team skills become something learned, but not applied to their full potential. I further believe commitment is at the very core of any extraordinary accomplishment. It is the pivotal point upon which greatness in any organization is formed. Commitment is the stuff winners are made of. It is the driving force, which propels people and organizations to go beyond themselves. True commitment can be very difficult because it can often involve making hard decisions and taking the risk of “doing the right thing.”

It has been said, “Give me one committed person and I’ll beat one hundred who are only interested.” This must be extended to; give me teams of committed people and I’ll beat thousands of interested people. The word “commitment” put to use, fuels excitement. Excited people most often make things happen. Excited, committed and focused teams of people can be the very essence of success in an organization and in a project team.

Commitment is that attitude which if employed in an orchestrated strategy, with highly capable well-trained people, and led by obsessive visionaries (leaders), can be the power, which assures success in almost any venture. To be most effective, commitment should start at the top. In his book Firing On All Cylinders, author Jim Clemmer states, “It’s not enough for senior executive team members to be “committed” to service/quality improvement; they must be visibly seen to be obsessed with this as their top priority.”

If the leadership is not committed, how can you expect others to be committed? If a coach is not committed to developing a winning team, how successful do you think the team is going to be? There are rare exceptions when a group of people will rise to the occasion and do extraordinary things in spite of the absence of leadership at the top. This is not to say that no one in any work related follower role should use the absence of commitment at the top, to be an excuse for not being committed themselves. If the individual team members are not committed to being coached and taking the responsibility for their own development and the accomplishment of the mission, do you think the team will succeed?

All too often people blame others for their own lack of commitment. This could be true; however, we must not let someone else’s lack of commitment be the reason we don’t act in a responsible manner. I believe it is inappropriate to let others prevent our individual pursuit of excellence from happening. Granted, real meaningful change in any organization usually occurs only when there is commitment at all levels. However, sometimes it takes the leadership within lower levels of an organization to be the spark that ignites the higher echelon. The point is, we all can’t sit around waiting for a cultural revolution or idea to start within an organization. “Work like you own the company” no matter what job you have within the organization or team. Do what it takes to help your team win. Get the entrepreneurial juices flowing within your project team or area of responsibility. If you are not in a formal leadership position, still work like you own the company. By doing this, you will probably find yourself quickly rising as the natural leader within your work area.

Involvement creates commitment. Get involved with all facets of your organization. Your level of job satisfaction will rise, and your understanding of the overall focus of the organization will allow you more latitude to effect change. Continually learn and strive to be the best that you can with regard to your job knowledge. Also, active participation with your co-workers, demonstrates that you are a team player. Additionally, if you work like you own the company, your job will more often than not, provide you at least some of the security you seek as an employee of a successful operation. If you feel you are not empowered to work like you own the company, test that assumption. You will be surprised how much you can do both as an individual and within a project team without having to ask. If you have an innovative idea, work it. If you see a problem, try to fix it. If you come in contact with an unhappy customer, help them. Claiming pride of ownership is not hard, in fact, it is quite simple – just do it!

Committed and involved leadership is a critical factor in organizational performance. You can’t yell, “Charge” from the executive suite and expect the troops to go and take the hill. A coach is right on the sideline yelling words of encouragement. The coach is not in the thick of the game, but is close enough to smell the sweat, see the blood, and feel the emotion of the players. The committed leader/coach is continually involved in the fast-paced decisions, which are required to meet the ever-changing needs of the organization and its people. As a leader, you must eat, breathe and sleep the vision of winning…that’s commitment!

The same holds true for any organizational member. They too must be committed to winning. The individual or team must take seriously the challenge the organization faces; therefore, they must provide constructive input continually. After all, who is better equipped to make recommendation for improvement than the people doing the frontline work? People usually don’t bring bad ideas to the table. Granted, some input may not be completely thought out, but in a project team environment, the basic idea can be quickly improved upon and continuous change made. A well-trained team will be able to provide more meaningful input and higher quality solutions than an individual. Add commitment to the success formula, the team then becomes a powerful agent of quantum change, innovation, and in some cases, the revolutionary invention for an entirely new process, service or product.

In any discussion on the subject of commitment, the question of personal attitudes and beliefs must be considered. Are an individual’s attitudes and beliefs compatible with those of the organizations? Does the individual or team member (in any job position) share the beliefs of innovation, risk taking, commitment, being an agent of change, giving customers (internal and external) the best value possible or learning all he or she can to improve skills? Stated differently, is the individual or team member an optimal match committed to carry out the vision and mission of the organization?

Lastly, commitment and the enthusiasm it creates are contagious. If the leadership individuals and team members are committed, they will quickly impact those around them. People like to be around and associated with successful and committed people. Knowing successful people and being part of a successful team, or organization helps an individual’s self-esteem and helps put meaning in their life. Being associated with a positive situation and positive people establishes a decided anchor in an individuals work life, which can often be easily translated into a better overall quality in their personal life. Remember, commitment is contagious…be committed.

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You MAY reprint the information contained in this article as long as no portion of the contents are modified and it used “exclusively” within your organization. You must also give credit to information by including the tag line...

Roger M. Ingbretsen, Author, Speaker, Leadership Coach, Organizational and Career Developer. For more information, visit www.ingbretsen.com or call 509 999 7008.

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Article Tags: accomplishment, blends, doing the right thing, driving force, excitement, executive team members, firing on all cylinders, glue, greatness, jim clemmer, new economy, pivotal point, senior executive team, service quality improvement, taking the risk, team commitment, teamwork, top priority, true commitment, visionaries



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