Inspiring Commitment

Creating an environment that influences the commitment of people in the workforce is a significant managerial/supervisor responsibility. For years, managers and supervisors have been asked to "motivate" their employees. For years we have been indoctrinated with "motivational" models designed to help managers and supervisors inspire workers. Yet, worker apathy and motivation problems are still major obstacles to organizational excellence.

Most leaders perceive it is their responsibility to motivate others yet the "others" have complete discretion over whether they want to be motivated. Leaders become more successful when they stop attempting to "motivate" others and begin to focus their efforts on the work environment and work processes they manage.

When managing others, there are only two basic outcomes with regard to acceptable performance. One is compliance; that is, doing what is expected and asked and nothing more. The other is commitment; that is, doing what is expected with initiative and a concern for doing things right, with constant improvement. Today’s successful managers and supervisors must learn to manage for commitment. With the performance of people becoming a distinct competitive advantage, effective management practices are a must.

Basic characteristics of a work environment which inspires commitment include: 

• Having clear expectations of what is required.
• Understanding how the work contributes to the success of the company.
• Having personal responsibility for one’s performance.
• Having the necessary involvement and control in the work process to achieve expected results.
• Having a consistent and fair accountability system.
• Knowing what the "score" is on a routine basis.

Having a committed workforce is only a beginning. Workers who feel commitment to their jobs and to their organizations and have a sense of ownership over what they contribute are a competitive pre-requisite for the future. Managers and supervisors must eliminate the processes and structures that make others dependent and apathetic. These characteristics lead to anxiety, frustration, high turnover and low performance.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module participants will better understand: 

• The difference between movement and motivation
• The implications of relying on "carrot and stick" motivation techniques
• The four pre-requisites for creating a work environment that inspires high motivation and performance
• The influence of the work process over the performance outcomes and motivation of the worker

Participants will be able to: 

• Apply principles that lead to worker commitment rather than compliant behaviors.
• Assess the level of commitment in a work group.