Showing Commitment: CG6

Organizations Make Commitments

Flexibility-CG5 in the sense of presence does not just happen, it must be driven from within in a coherent fashion. For that matter, all the means of achievement must somehow be driven.

The key force, as everyone knows, is commitment. That is why a core expectation by management is that the employees show commitment. Note that the present commitment is not to yourself or to your work, but to the organization's «self» and its work.
ClosedMore clarification:► 

Remember: The organization is a «quasi-individual » with a «quasi-self». So, like a person, it too requires an unequivocal commitment to itself. Of course, that has no meaning unless staff accept there is such a thing as an «organization's commitment» — which is what we will examine and clarify here.

Applying the Two Perspectives

From an organization/management perspective, policies, strategies, regulations and similar organization-wide choices are the crucial commitments. We will use the THEE-name: Management Policy to refer to them generally.

From a personal/employee perspective, it is no surprise that the organization expects commitment to management policy. However, these policies alter and get re-focused over time and take no individual into account, so such commitment calls for a degree of ongoing adjustment by employees. Personal Adjustment is the THEE-name for the demand on an employee to show commitment-CG6. What might you have to adjust? Closed Almost anything: your current aspiration, your priorities, your arrangements to balance family and work, your usual activities, your favorite tasks, a certain role, or particular relationships.

The additional quality required to deliver on commitment-based obligations is «perceptiveness»: i.e. a use of insight, acumen and discernment to appreciate the many issues that affect any deliberate choice.

Management perceptiveness will affect the quality of the policies and strategies. Employeeperceptiveness will affect the quality of the adjustments that each makes.

Perceptiveness is provided by adding a 6th level of expectation (or means-of-achieving) to the grouping of levels. In both Hexads, perceptiveness relates to personal matters: evolving mindsets(CL7) and channeling aspirations(CL6)

Showing commitment is important for management, because it is the only way an organization can rationally plough forward despite inner and outer obstacles and tempting alternative opportunities. Staff need to have confidence in management's perceptiveness, and they must not doubt that the organization is indeed committed, or their morale and motivation will suffer.

In the same way, showing commitment is essential for every employee. Management must have confidence that staff will adjust their thinking, their aspirations and (above all) their activities to deliver policies and strategies judged necessary. If an employee does not show commitment, superiors will come to see that person as lacking in loyalty and not ready to make the sacrifices that others willingly accept.

Overtcommitment is a contagious state—if those around you are demonstrating commitment and belief in the organization, then you are far more likely to do so as well.

The Demands of Commitment

In organizations, commitment takes two forms:

■ Being Responsible-CG62
■ Being Proactive-CG61

Both Management and Employees have to be responsible and proactive.

Being Responsible

Function: To take ownership of obligations to members/investors, to other stakeholders, to wider society, and also to employees (for management) or to management (for employees).

The terms «responsibility» and «accountability» are often used synonymously, but THEE recognizes a distinction. This distinction is needed to recognize that an employee can feel obligated and be responsible for something independently of formal post-based accountability.

«Accountability» is a property of a post, and is a defined formal obligation of a post-holder within an organization (or some other social group).

«Responsibility» is a more general term with a wide variety of uses.

In the phrase «X is responsible to», responsibility is being used as equivalent to accountability.

In the phrase «X is responsible for» responsibility is a mental state of obligation within the person (in this case a post-holder). 

Being responsible in the present context is about working with that inner personal sense of obligation.

Being Proactive

Function: To look ahead, plan and act so as to ensure the survival and growth of the organization.

Proactivity involves pre-empting or anticipating difficulties. It means making a deliberate decision rather than responding to an easily predictable event. Its deficit is evident in «waiting to be told» or «being overwhelmed by pressures» (often a precursor to going off sick).

NOTE: Proactive choices can include: wait and see, be reactive, comply, or use best practice; but only if such alternatives are carefully considered by an employee in relation to the anticipated issue.

«Posts» are structured and impersonal. 
Synonyms: position, job, office, role.

They are created for an organization with the expectation that each «post» is to be filled by a suitable person.

Examples: Closed General Manager for Production, Chief Information Officer, Night-shift Supervisor, Team-leader, Sales Manager.

«Roles» are fluid and personal.
Are there any synonyms?

An employee may have several «roles». They become vehicles for commitment, because they are brought to life by a person fitting within a community (cf. Social Being). In this case, the community is the relevant staff group within the organization. The various roles expected from an employee in a post may change due to new policies and strategies or following a move to a new post.

Examples: Closed optimist, network developer, group leader, ideas generator, spokesperson

Originally posted: 11-Nov-2011