PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 28: Simone Biles of Team United States reacts after
competing on the vault during the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Qualification on day two
of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 28, 2024, in Paris, France.
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Commitment is a powerful force that goes beyond setting goals—it's a goal fueled by
values, purpose, and vision. To truly understand the difference between goals and
commitments, we can look to Olympic athletes. A goal might be connected to your
head, but commitments resonate with your head, heart, and soul. Anyone who has
made it to the Olympic level or is part of a collaborative, high-performing corporate
department knows this difference intimately.
When well-crafted, commitments can shape strategy for organizations, foster group
spirit for teams, and translate into unwavering determination for individuals. Creating a
remarkable organization requires developing, honing, and completing commitments at
all three levels.
Five Leadership Practices for Creating and Achieving Commitments:
1. Be Collaborative:
Leaders who involve their team members in the process of developing commitments are
more likely to achieve them. A 2024 blog post from McKinsey emphasizes the
importance of including employees in the discussion of business objectives and
purpose. Rather than simply cascading goals down the organizational ladder, leaders
should engage in frequent conversations with employees, partnering with them to
develop measurable, motivating targets that they have a direct role in shaping. This
approach is crucial at the company, team, and individual levels.
2. Connect to Culture:
Commitments should be deeply aligned with the company's values, purpose, vision, and
cultural activities. This model shows that all aspects of culture need to resonate with the
soul of the organization. When commitments are in sync with the culture, they not only
drive results but also reinforce the identity and ethos of the organization.
Culture Alignment: Starts with Soul.
3. Be Creative:
Commitments can—and should—span various areas such as metrics, learning,
innovation, and projects. While metrics are often the primary focus its important to
recognize that all categories contribute to the sustainability of an organization.
Here are a few examples of clear commitments:
Metrics
"As a company, we will close an average of $1,000,000 in monthly sales over
the next six months." or "As a company, we will reduce turnover from 50% per year to 25% by the end of 2026."
Learning:
"As a leader, I will review and streamline our onboarding and training
processes and present my findings to the Chief People Officer within three months" or
"I will attend two conferences this year to enhance my executive skills and industry
knowledge."
Innovation:
"As a team, we will develop three new product offerings in the next three
months to present to the CEO." or "We will identify three ways to cut expenses without compromising quality within the next three months."
Projects:
"As a team member, I will analyze customer engagement data from the past
three years and present a trend analysis to my manager within four weeks." or "I will
plan a celebration for everyone in my department who was promoted this year, to take
place this month."
4. Keep Current:
While goals can be set and forgotten, especially as market conditions and internal
culture evolve, commitments should be revisited and updated regularly to ensure they
remain aligned with strategy. However, they shouldn't be changed too frequently, as
consistency is needed for progress. At Compassionate Leaders Circle, we review and
update company-wide commitments three times a year, with team and individual
commitments being reviewed and adjusted more frequently.
5. Celebrate Progress:
In their book, The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and
Creativity at Work, Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer highlight how even small
steps forward can significantly impact employees' emotional and intellectual well-being.
Their research concluded that "of all the factors that induce creativity, productivity,
collegiality, and commitment among employees, the single most important one is a
sense of making progress on meaningful work."
Commitment is the final principle in the 12-part series I've explored with my readers on
leadership development this year. Here's a quick recap of our 12-part method:
The Donnellan Leadership Method
Leader Activity:
Review the model above and choose one principle and practice that aligns with your
natural strengths.
Create a commitment to help you develop this strength at work, which you can complete in the next 30 days.
Review the model above and choose the one principle and practice that is your biggest challenge.
Create a commitment to help you develop this work challenge, which you can complete in the next 30 days.
Find free resources here to learn more about compassionate leadership, commitment, and creating remarkable performance.
Connect with Compassionate Leaders Circle
Our Vision: We see a world where leading with love is the path to positive change, peace, and prosperity for all.
Laurel Donnellan
Founder & CEO
Meryl Eriksen
Chief Compassion Officer
315-217-1740 | compassionateleaderscircle.com
Created from a post by Laurel Donnellan originally published at Forbes.com
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