Commitment is a valuable trait that your employees possess and is valued by the company. A lot of recruitment managers hire people with the false assumption that commitment is something that their talent possesses right from the start. However, the level of commitment given by an individual towards an organization or a team is commensurate to how well they are valued within their team. When there is a lack of commitment in a team, you need to look at the leadership style and how you can inspire the people in your team to give their all.
Are You Suffering from a Lack of Commitment in your Team?
People give their best effort when they feel that they are valued in a team. If there is a lack of commitment, you are not getting the most out of every talent’s potential. A lack of commitment in a team is considered as one of the main reasons why organizations fail to achieve their goals.
A lack of commitment is not the problem itself, but rather an indicator of a wider issue. For instance, it is a result of poor execution strategy in your company and poor leadership that fails to inspire commitment from the team.
Teams that do not have the full commitment of its members also lack confidence because they are afraid to fail. Over time, this fear can paralyze members and the overall team goal, even when the actions are aligned with the overall team goals. Without action from the team, you miss out on opportunities and you deny the team the opportunity to grow and expand.
A host of other issues could arise from a lack of commitment in a team. This includes breeding animosity among members and a lack of satisfaction because team members do not feel fulfilled.
How Leadership Can Inspire Commitment
Leadership plays a crucial role when addressing issues of commitment in a team. It might be surprising, but leaders can inspire commitment from their employees so that they can deliver their best work. This comes as the result of the leader and the organization seeing the value that the employee brings to the team, which inspires them in turn to serve to their fullest potential.
Leadership commitment inspires employee commitment – that’s how it works. If you want your employees to be committed to their work, you must also show full commitment towards them. Pay attention to their unique abilities and qualities that align with the company values so that you can work together as one unit.
A good leader who values the intrinsic worth of every employee breeds a committed team. That’s why leaders must possess the essential behaviors that inspire commitment. If you possess these behaviors, think about how you can implement or improve on them.
1. Giving Feedback
As a leader, you need to give praise and make it a habit. You should definitely give it when it’s due. A lot of leaders think that feedback must only be given when something must be fixed or corrected. However, you should also give feedback or praise when an employee does something well.
Feedback must be given on big and small projects. You can opt to give a one-time feedback or incremental sessions, or a mix of both.
If you appreciate the work of your employees, let them know about it. The more you do and say it to them, the more it becomes a pattern in the workplace. Put yourself in the shoes of the people that you work with. If you are constantly told that you are doing well, it makes you feel valued and that you are doing valuable work for the team.
This can have a huge impact on the mindset of your team. It makes them want to strive to do better so that they can continue to impress their boss.
2. Maximize the team’s strengths
Every member of your team has their own strengths. If you already recognize their strengths, commit to making the most of them. Think about which situations each member excels in and utilize their skills and abilities accordingly.
By delegating your team members a task that maximizes their strengths, it makes them feel valued. They feel as though they are making a huge contribution to the team and that makes them fulfilled.
A leader’s ability to identify the strengths of a team member and utilizing them in a role that fits them is one of the best ways to inspire commitment.
3. Advocate For Your Team
Giving continual feedback to your team is a good start, but don’t stop there. Let the employees know that they are making a huge difference to the organization because of the work they have contributed.
Lack of commitment in a team can happen as a result of upper management being far removed from the employees. It is important that leaders are involved in the day-to-day performance of the team in order to establish a connection. It is also a crucial step towards letting the employees know what impact they are making.
You can take that to the next level by recommending a team member whose work is above and beyond for a promotion. Make them feel that you have recognized the commitment and quality of work that they have done to support the organization’s growth and success. By advocating for your team members, you can make them a stronger member of your team.
4. Encourage Development
Aside from recommending your excellent team members for a promotion, another way that you can inspire them to stay committed is by giving them enough tools for training and development. Not only does it help with development, it also helps with fostering loyalty.
The access to training and development is one of the main reasons why employees are happy with their employers. Make it a habit to encourage your team members to reach their highest potential. Carve paths for them to pursue development so you can also benefit in turn as they level up their performance.
5. Treat Employees Consistently
One of the best ways to lose commitment from your team is to play favorites. Unfortunately, not all leaders recognize when they are doing it.
Therefore, leaders have to be very aware of their actions and how they affect the team. This awareness is going to ensure fair and equal treatment of all members of the team. That way, you can get the same level of commitment with every member of your team.
