Are you Committed or Do you need to be Committed?

It's funny – the most ordinary situations create new perspectives.  I was speaking to a gentleman coming up in his career during a holiday celebration and this individual was clearly frustrated with his job.  The mental exhaustion and the general malaise primed me to ask “are you committed or do you need to be committed”?  Commitment and willpower are two powerful elements that are often elusive if the emotional dynamic is not there.  There was still a general sense of confusion from this individual on “when should I get myself focused for the day ahead”?

The “time is now”, bringing energy and initiative to your roles* every day show commitment. Caring more about your role and behaviors will show in the results you produce. Showing commitment can demonstrate your leadership potential to key influencers and lead to career opportunities. 

(* all of us have different and multiple roles throughout our lives, father, spouse, professional, artist, athlete, etc. – this applies to every role)

 

The primary source and ongoing frustration of this individual – How can you keep yourself and others motivated when peers commitments wane?

 

The simple answer is that “do whatever you do, but professionals need to take personal responsibility for their own actions and results”. The market is in a state of constant disruption, placing additional demands on the business that spreads throughout the entire organization. Keeping yourself and your peers motivated can show your commitment to the overall challenges and increased demands of your business. It can be challenging keeping up high performance standards when your co-workers’ commitment to their jobs fades. 

Consider these two elements to bolster commitment:

1. Putting People and Customers First - Striving for customer satisfaction shows your commitment to your employer’s objectives. Even if your job doesn’t involve interacting with clients directly, your role is contributing to the objectives in keeping your organization’s client base satisfied and growing. Handling every task with the idea fresh in your mind that your work impacts client, performance and ultimately your potential may also boost your pride in your work and lead to improved job performance.
2. Self motivation - Encouraging yourself to develop new skills, improve operations and process or take new risks to advance the business can awaken new levels of commitment. You own your success.
3. Collaboration & Teamwork – The concepts of reliability and trust are a much deeper issue and are the essential underpinnings of any successful team. Making significant contributions to any group task shows commitment to your group, team and organization. Displaying confidence in your ideas, skills and solutions is a trait that many organizations value. Being reliable shows commitment to your team’s objectives and an understanding of the part you play in a bigger picture. Taking on any form of leadership roles and organizing team members to cooperate with each other, or collaborate with other groups, shows a commitment to big picture achievement.

 

Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.