The discussion below condenses, exerpts and borrows heavily from an excellent booklet by Price Pritchett, Firing Up Commitment During Organizational Change. Price Pritchett can be reached at 1-800-622-8989. The booklet is $5.99 or less in quantities, and orders can be placed at 1-800-992-5922.

During the next decade we'll all experience an ever greater amount of change, and it will have profound effects on us and on our work. All this change will increase the importance of commitment to the College and its mission.

Performance is the Key

Change is our constant companion, and the rate of change is increasing. Change presents both opportunities and threats, and how we respond makes the difference in the outcome. Commitment to see through the difficulties caused by change is essential because change puts heavy demands on the organization.

Should organizations look for loyalty or high morale during change? The short answer is no, that it is performance that pays the bills, not loyalty and not morale.

The Passion of the Person

Commitment is self-nourshing. As it draws from the spirit it feeds the soul. It gives meaning to work and increases one's sense of self worth.

Building commitment in others requires your commitment, and the more passion people see in your commitment the more they are likely to drawn into similar commitment. You can't wait to see it in others, you have to have it yourself first. Examine your own attitude, evaluate your personal investment in pushing for change.

The Power of Purpose

Folks who are fired up by causes are energized. They put their hearts into their work and "buy in" to change. People CARE about working for a movement. Martin Luther King did not say, "I have a strategic plan." He shouted, "I have a dream!", and he created a crusade.

The Honor of Achievement

Doing things and doing them right is a natural turn-on, adding to personal fulfillment and commitment to the job. Meaningful assignments, carried to successful completion help people feel like they've contributed. Achieving tough tasks, in particular, warms the spirit and feeds the soul. The result is that people put more heart into their work.

Power Prevents feeling Powerless

Change produces a common side effect; a feeling of vulnerability and helplessness. This feeling of powerlessness is destructive to commitment. People need to believe in their ability to affect their circumstances, to shape their future. Everyone needs some control and authority over some sector of their work in order not to feel powerless during change.

A Need to be Needed (Employees unplugged)

If people believe it's no different whether they do a sloppy job or first class work, if they believe that nobody cares, then the drive to deliver good results dies. People who don't feel needed start to psychologically unplug from the organization. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Do you make the people who work with you feel needed? Commitment comes from feeling necessary.

The Magic of Responsibility

Whether people want it or not, responsibility for results torques up their level of commitment. The opposite is also true: Leave people with zero responsibilities, and you're likely to end up with zero commitment. "Ownership" is closely tied to commitment. The paradox of change is that people feel busier than ever, but productivity sags. Mere activity is not the answer. The secret is to assign responsibility for OUTCOMES, to hold people personally responsible for RESULTS.

Insiders or Outsiders?

Change weakens people's emotional attachment to the organziation. Some quit and leave, others quit and stay. Exclusion cuts off the oxygen needed to keep commitment alive. Employees who feel left out or ignored invest little passion in their labor. Managers need to be like magnets, drawing people together. Include everyone in communications and take pains to make each person feel accepted.

Momentum

Progress is compelling, and commitment starts to climb when things start clicking. Everyone wants to be part of a winner. Keeping everyone focused on achieving hard results - tangible performance gains - provides concrete proof of the group's effectiveness. Momentum heals attitudinal problems such as low morale, high stress, poor institutional loyalty and low job satisfaction. Things you can do: create a sense of urgency, move faster, push for daily progress, post results, celebrate accomplishments and then raise the bar.

Personal Ties

The stronger the ties between people, the more those personal bonds server as a motor powering individual effort and commitment. People push themselves rather than let down their colleagues. Encourage sharing experiences outside of work and the daily routine in order to foster development of the group spirit. Cohesiveness is worth something.

A Piece of the Action

Helping people make a meaninful connection between effort and rewards gives them a vested interest in the results. Psychological paychecks deserve tobe distributed across the group by giving people their fair share of the glory, prestige, and recognition they rightfully have earned. Figure out how to give people a piece of the action. That implies ownership, and ownership is one of the cornerstones of commitment.

People Live up to Expectations

Expectations become self-fulfilling porophecy. In order to shape the reality you seek you need to belive that your colleagues have what it takes to attain it. This includes the commitment, high standards, competencies and leadership necessary to succeed. Expectations must be explicit, rigid, and rewards must be saved for those who try the hardest and contribute the most. People must benefit in proportion to their efforts and the results they produce. When you do this behavior and attitude start to matter and performance begins to make a real difference to the people involved.

Hooked on Your Work

Commitment comes naturally when people are hooked on what they're doing. If they're caught up in the challenge of the job, if what they do is a natural turn-on, you don't have to worry about lighting a fire under them. If you can position employees so they get to spend their days doing what they love, you ensure commitment. Thereis another important benefit. Employees who are consumed with the work at hand invest more fully in the organization. They are less likely to take a second job, or less inclined to leave their creativity and energy for outside interests.

Mutual Investment

Commitment rarely comes without reciprocity. You have to be invested in your people if you want them to be invested in their work. You can be fiercely commited to helping our people succeed in the jobs they face. You can dedicate yourself to giving them the support and resources they need. You can invest in their training, education and overall employability. You can encourage, believe in them, and back them up in their work. Beyond all that, you can commit to honesty, to always being trustworthy and above board in your dealings with them. Make it clear that they can count on you to do what's possible on their behalf. You've got to be caring and committed toward your people for them to be caring and committed in their work.

Guy Hancock, EDGE co-chair

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