Learn how your organization can build a dedication to its cause and a willingness to get involved in their activities and how to sustain it. Show
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:
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:
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?
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:
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 organizationSometimes, 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.
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 organizationPeople 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 yourselfEveryone 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 doIf 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 peoplePeople 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 otherPeople 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:
Listen, listen, and listenListening 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 leadershipTo 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. CelebrateDon'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
And remember: Commitment takes time! In SummaryIn 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." How do you help your employees become committed to a job or to the organization?Be flexible. Allow your employee to feel like they are not going to lose their job for not being able to make a meeting.. Grant the person access to opportunities. ... . Ask the person about something other than work. ... . Mentor the person.. How are you demonstrating commitment to organization?Another way to show your commitment at work is to ask for feedback on your performance. Although most organizations have a formal evaluation process, asking for feedback, even informally, can prove that your commitment to your industry and are making efforts to improve the hard skills associated with your job.
How do you build staff commitment in an organization?How to Increase Your Employee Commitment and Loyalty. Construct career growth opportunities. ... . Respect your employees needs. ... . Provide Feedback. ... . Clear Communication. ... . Encourage Team Bonding. ... . Create Clear Strategies for Employee Engagement.. How can an organization encourage commitment of work of their workers in the company?An organization can support their employees by providing them with learning opportunities, cross-training, and any other interactive method that support their overall development. Such gestures help organizations retain their employees at the same time employees are more committed to their work.
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