[Ohio-Talk] The Pathway To Developing and Increasing One's Commitment

[Suzanne Turner]

The Pathway To Developing and Increasing One's Commitment

 

*    What is commitment?

*    Why do you need to mobilize and sustain commitment?

*    When is a good time to build and sustain commitment?

*    How can you mobilize and sustain commitment?

 

What is commitment?

Commitment is dedication to a particular organization, cause, or belief, and
a willingness to get involved.

People who are committed to an organization or effort truly believe that it
is important, and they show up, follow through, and stick with it.

The more people who are committed to your organization, the greater the
momentum you can generate to get the job done.

 

Why do you need to mobilize and sustain commitment?

 

Commitment is the backbone of a group or organization. It is what gives a
group its strength.

Here are several reasons it is important:

*         The more committed people there are, the more effective they are
in influencing others. If a whole group acts with determination and
commitment, great numbers of people will really pay attention.

*         People who are committed are the ones who don't take
discouragement seriously -- they don't give up. They set an example for
those who don't have the confidence or experience to go through the hard
times and hold out for the rewards of success.

*         People cooperate at a higher level when they share commitment.
Commitment fosters camaraderie, trust, and caring -- the stuff a group needs
to keep it going for the long run.

*         If people are committed to an effort for a period of time, they
will learn what they need to know to be more effective. People need time to
try things out, make mistakes, and then figure out a strategy that works.

When is a good time to build and sustain commitment?

All the time, any time. Commitment doesn't usually occur at one moment. It
grows within people over time.

 

Commitment grows when people:

*         Work together

*         Feel successful at what they do

*         Make decisions together

*         Work through conflicts

*         Support one another's leadership

*         Have fun and play together

*         Overcome obstacles

*         Hold each other to high principles

*         Appreciate and respect one another

*         Challenge one another to take the next step

*         Build relationships

*         Experience a victory together

*         Learn from mistakes and setbacks

*         See their leaders model commitment

 

Commitment can decrease when people when the opposite is true - when they
don't communicate well, don't build relationships and support one another,
become embroiled in unresolved conflicts, don't live their principles, and
don't see leaders demonstrating commitment.

 

Although commitment grows in a natural way, you, as a leader or group
member, can foster commitment in your organization. You can build commitment
into your organizational culture. 

 

Although it is invisible, commitment is a very real quality that you can do
something about if you are willing to focus your attention on it.

How can you mobilize and sustain commitment?

How do you build and sustain commitment? How do you get your hands on that
invisible quality and make it grow in your organization?

 

First, let's think about why people become involved in and committed to a
group or organization. Start with yourself: Why are you are committed to
your project or organization?

What is most important to you?

*         The goals of your group?

*         Your vision of what is possible?

*         The people with whom you work?

*         The length of time you've invested in this group?

*         Your role in your group or organization?

*         What you've learned in this group?

*         The satisfaction you get from doing significant work?

*         Other reasons?

 

People commit to a group or organization because they gain something
important from their involvement. When you invite them to become involved,
you are not only asking for their help, you are offering them an opportunity
to:

*         Work on an issue that is important to them

*         Benefit the community

*         Meet and spend time with like-minded people

*         Expand their skills

*         Be a part of a team

*         Learn how to lead

*         Rise to a challenge

*         Meet high standards

*         Accomplish something significant

 

You can be proud when you invite people to be committed to your
organization. You're not imposing on them; you're offering them something of
value.

Below are some specific ideas about how to build and sustain commitment,
many of which will also strengthen your organization as a whole.

 

Welcome people into your organization

Sometimes, all people need in order to become involved is to feel genuinely
welcome. If they don't feel welcome, they'll soon leave. As a leader, you
can set an example by personally welcoming whoever walks through the door or
asks about joining your organization or initiative.  Ask them questions and
get to know them, and make them feel valued.  That not only gives people a
good feeling about the effort and encourages them to become involved, but it
also provides the basis for developing a relationship that helps you
function as a leader and acts to cement commitment in the future.

 

Example:

A new member of a community organization dropped by the director's office to
say hello. The director took 45 minutes to find out about the member and get
to know her. The new member felt welcome and quickly got involved in the
program committee. She became an active, committed member, and a few years
later she became President of the Board of Directors.

Teach everyone in your organization to welcome new people. Make it part of
your organizational culture. You can also set up a Welcoming Committee for
open meetings or special events, or you can set up a buddy system. People in
your organization will understand that welcoming is a job to be taken
seriously.

Be open and clear about the mission, principles, and goals of your
organization

People have to know what they are committing to. They want to join an
organization if they share similar principles and goals. Make sure that
everyone in your organization is familiar with its mission, principles, and
goals.

As a leader, talk openly about why you care about these principles and
goals. For example, if you are working to develop a mentor program for teens
in your community, talk about why that program is important to you. You
might tell people how your life would have been different if an adult had
not committed some time and attention to you when you were a teen.

Model commitment yourself

Everyone looks to the leader of a group or project to see if she is
committed. If you care about the work, it will show in your attitudes and
actions. People will watch to see how you act, and they will follow your
lead. If they can count on you, it is more likely that you will be able to
count on them. If you stay late to send out a mailing, others will be
willing to do so. Commitment is contagious.

 

On the other hand, if you are working so hard that you are burnt out and
always unhappy, people will take note of that too and they will shy away
from following your lead.  Try to strike a balance: don't make commitment
look like an impossible burden.

Give people work to do

If someone shows interest in becoming involved in your group, don't wait too
long to give them something to do. People need to feel that they are making
a significant contribution in order to feel committed. Find out what they
are interested in doing and see if you can match their interests to some
work that needs to be done.

 

Also, give new people a job that brings them in contact with other people in
the organization. That will draw them into the group sooner and more easily.

Pick out the right level of challenge for people

People need to feel successful and they also need to stretch their
abilities. Both are important. When you are first getting to know someone,
try to match them with work in which you think they can achieve some
success. This will help people to feel good about themselves and will
encourage them to stay.

As you get to know them better, give them gradually increasing challenges.
Being challenged keeps people excited about the work they are doing.
Sometimes people will need encouragement to try things they have never
before considered. Sit down and talk to people to find out what jobs they
would like to try. It is a worthwhile investment of time, because they will
know that you care about them and their development, not just about what
they can produce for you.

 

Build an organizational culture in which staff, volunteers, and members
appreciate and respect each other

People need to feel respected and appreciated in order to stay connected and
committed to a group or organization. This is simple and important, but
sometimes not easy to remember. Still, there are several steps you can take
to build a group or organizational culture in which people treat each other
well:

*         Model appreciation and respect: Take the time to think about the
people with whom you are working and openly appreciate them and their work.
Although some people may be surprised when you do it, everyone likes to be
appreciated.  Treat everyone the same way you would have others treat you -
with respect and good humor.  You may be the leader, but that doesn't mean
you're more important as a human being than the person who answers the phone
or helps with a mailing.

*         Teach people in your organization to notice what is going well,
rather than just noticing what needs to be improved. For example, you can
open meetings by having each person talk about what they have done well
since the last time you met. You can also have people show appreciation to
each other as a way to close meetings.

*         In heated discussions or conflicts, make sure people continue to
show respect for each other. Conflicts can be important growing periods. To
ensure they are useful rather than destructive, do not let people personally
attack each other. Keep discussions to the issues. If people have personal
conflicts, mediate the conflict or bring in an outside person to do so.

Listen, listen, and listen

Listening is a powerful tool. Everyone could use someone to listen to them.
When you listen to others with respect, they sense that you have confidence
in them and are interested in what they think. In turn, your interest and
confidence helps them to think clearly and creatively.

If you want young people, old people, immigrants, low-income people, people
of color, or anybody else to be committed to your organization, listen to
them. Try asking a teenager or young person to share their thinking on a
topic with you. How do you think we should design this community center?
What is the key issue in this neighborhood? That teenager may be surprised,
at first, because adults so rarely care about what they think. However, if
you can break through their "cool," teenagers will be delighted to tell you
what they think.

Support people's leadership

To help sustain commitment in your group or organization, think about each
person as a potential leader and train them to lead. If people view
themselves as a leader of a group, they will view the group as theirs. They
will have a feeling of ownership, and will be more likely to take initiative
to make sure things work well.

 

We traditionally think of leaders as the people who are the directors of the
organization and make all the important decisions, but you can expand your
definition of leadership. For example, you can view the event organizer as
one of the key leaders, but the person who informally resolves conflicts is
a leader, too. Even the person who gets everyone in the room laughing when
the energy bogs down is performing an important leadership function.

Help people to recognize their leadership talents, and encourage them to try
out more. Invite them to speak in public or chair a meeting. You don't have
to give people leadership titles, but sometimes it helps them to take
themselves seriously.

Even though people have different levels of leadership skills, everyone can
contribute something of importance. Everyone has a point of view that is
valuable. Everyone has talents to share.

 

Celebrate

Don't forget to celebrate. Any excuse will do: a victory, an organization's
anniversary, a time to give out prizes or certificates to volunteers or
workers, or a cultural sharing time are all good reasons for people to get
to together, relax, and enjoy each others company.

 

A few extra tips

*         Commitment grows steadily but often slowly. Be patient. It will
come.

*         Appreciate whatever level of commitment a person can make. People
will vary greatly in their level of commitment and that's okay. Some people
will have more time, more interest in the your goals and mission, and a
greater understanding of the value of commitment than others.

*         You can always invite and encourage people to do more. If they do,
great. If they don't, appreciate them for what they can do.

*         Don't guilt-trip people into commitment. It generally doesn't get
the long-term results you want. People need to feel that their contribution
matters, even if it is small. If they feel that they are a disappointment to
the leader, they may not stick around.

*         People are often yearning for meaning in their lives. When you ask
people to commit to an effort, cause, or organization, you are offering them
something of high value.

And remember: Commitment takes time!

 

In Summary

In the words of John Gardner, "Commitment requires hard work in the heat of
the day; it requires faithful exertion in behalf of chosen purposes and the
enhancement of chosen values."

 

 

Suzanne Hartfield-Turner, President

NFBOH-Cleveland Chapter

C: (216) 990-6199

P: (641) 715-3900

Ex: 582705

A: PO Box 141077

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

E: President.NFB.ClevelandOhio at Gmail.com
<mailto:President.NFB.ClevelandOhio at Gmail.com> 

 

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