Where’s the Commitment?
Many talk about commitment. But few live it.
Why is this a challenging value?
Because we tend to focus on the wrong party: what matters to others.
This leads to poor internal questions, such as:
- What’s the minimum required to satisfy my commitment?
- How will they feel if I only do this much?
- What will happen if I only deliver at this level?
To exacerbate this problem even further, we experience the impact of time. Over time, the level of importance diminishes, we loose interest, and we even forget.
But those who consistently deliver on their commitments have a different focus. They’re really clear on why it matters to them personally.
They internalize this value.
A Committed Artist
Consider the famous Italian sculptor, Michelangelo. In the year 1505, Pope Julius II called him to Rome, commissioning him to build the Pope’s tomb. But Michelangelo experienced many interruptions to his work. That project ended up taking him 40 years.
One of those interruptions was a request to paint the ceiling of a small chapel, with images of the 12 Apostles. Michelangelo was not viewed as a painter and didn’t really enjoy it. But the Pope asked and he responded.
He committed to doing it. And he poured his whole heart, mind, and soul into it.
Because of his painstaking work that lasted four long years, today we have the incredible and complex artwork of the Sistine Chapel. It includes over 300 figures highlighting nine episodes from the Book of Genesis, divided into three parts. Michelangelo went well beyond the original scope. He understood the true meaning of commitment – inside himself.
Michelangelo’s work set a new standard. Art historians maintain that this masterpiece forever changed the course of painting in Europe.
This can also happen in business, when the value of commitment becomes embedded into the culture of an organization.
A Committed Organization
Chip and Dan Heath, best selling authors of Made to Stick
“In St. Vincent, a tractor trailer accident blocked the main road going into the airport. Together a driver and ramp agent tried every possible alternate route to the airport but were stymied by traffic jams. They eventually struck out on foot, shuttling every package the last mile to the airport for an on-time departure. In New York, after a delivery truck broke down and the replacement van was running late, a FedEx driver initially delivered a few packages on foot, but then, afraid she’d never finish in time, she managed to persuade a driver from a competitor to take her on the last few deliveries.”
These employees truly exuded the FedEx brand promise. It was inside them.
Of course there are also stories of when FedEx failed to deliver on this promise. But the more an organization can incorporate this value into its culture, the stronger it becomes.
When every employee (including management) internalizes the value of commitment, there will be less talk about it and more living it.
How can the value of commitment differentiate your brand?
