According to the economics of productivity, a small portion of your entire staff is doing most of the work in your company, yet, why this is happening still eludes most entrepreneurs. Most people fulfill the requirements for their position. So what makes some of these new hires to perform better than the others? The answer to this question is quite simple – some people are just more committed to their work than the others.
Sure, firing these less committed people and bringing in others might change something. But you can’t really get far by treating the symptoms rather than addressing the issue that causes them in the first place. That being said, here are six ways that can help you influence employee commitment to your benefit.
1. Difference between employee commitment and engagement
Before you even start setting these parameters, you need to understand that the employee commitment and employee engagement is not the one and the same thing. On the surface, however, they may appear quite similar, which probably makes all the confusion possible. A person who is engaged in their work may appear as if they’re focused on the job at hands. Tet, their results almost always lag behind those of a person who is truly committed.
Even though enthusiasm may seem impossible to quantify, even with a simple survey, you can easily determine just how much some people are interested in their work. As for the commitment itself, you also have various types to take into the calculation. Most notable three are normative and continuance commitment. Establishing which of your employees falls under which category can be quite revealing when it comes to your overall efficiency as a company.
2. Set great objectives
The first thing you need to change in order to influence employee commitment is – your objectives. If you set the bar too high, your employees might get too discouraged and stop trying. On the other hand, by setting the bar too low, you will make the idea of reaching the goal less satisfying. In other words, you need to walk the thin line between too simple and too complex, which is far from simple.
Apart from this, you shouldn’t be governed by difficulty alone. In order to make your objectives meaningful, you need to show your audience that they are indeed contributing to the future of the company by showing them how completing this task affects the bigger picture. In other words, apart from the specifics of the task, you also need to be transparent about its overall relevance.
3. Create great junior and middle management
No matter how efficient your senior executives are, you need to keep in mind that a lot of your employees never actually get to communicate with them directly. Instead, they have junior and middle management as an impassable buffer zone. Sure, in theory, HR is supposed to act as a mediator but even with this knowledge in mind, there is a statistic claiming that most people who quit, do so due to a terrible boss than to a workplace they are not content with.
To avoid this, make sure to create great junior and middle management. This can be done gradually, by recognizing employees who are well-suited for leadership positions. Then grooming them to take up this future responsibility. Of course, bringing in great coordinators and managers from other companies may be a better short-term solution. Yet, in the long run, it is always better to handle these issues internally. Apart from this, promoting within your own ranks also provides your employees with one more reason to be intrinsically motivated. In this way, it indirectly boosts the employee commitment.
4. Lead by example
The funny thing about this is the fact that while most leaders hold themselves in high esteem. They commonly rate as mediocre on performance reviews. So, unless you’re willing to make a commitment yourself, you have no right to demand the same of your employees. Sure, some people may claim this to be debatable. But, it is definitely a point of view that your employees are going to assume. For instance, how can you expect your staff to arrive on time if you’re the one that’s always late? Nevertheless, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Which is why you might want to look for a course in executive coaching in Sydney in order to hone your leadership abilities.
5. One-on-one mentoring
In larger corporations, it may seem impossible to mentor every single one of your employees through one-on-one approach. This is why so many people go with courses, seminars and staff meetings. They try to convey all the necessary information and business practices there. The downside of this approach lies in the fact that certain individuals in your company may feel neglected, even ignored by your management. Therefore, even if you can’t afford to mentor every single one of your employees, you should at least dedicate a bit of your personal time to talk to them one-on-one.
6. Be as honest as possible
Finally, one of the root causes of the lack of employee commitment to the management lies in the fact that certain staff members doubt that you notice or even care about their commitment. Sure, you may believe that this is implied, yet, the only way to really set this straight is to set up a clear and direct communication with your employees. Impending changes can upset the morale around the company. The best way to get ahead of this is to tell your employees what’s going on with full honesty. Even if this is not something you want to hear.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, the greatest benefit of the above-listed six techniques lies in the fact that they are applicable regardless of the industry or the size of your enterprise. In other words, they are something you can rely on in most situations, instead of using them only when the situation allows it. After all, when it comes to steady growth and success in the business world, consistency is the name of the game.
Emily Wilson
Latest posts by Emily Wilson (see all)
- Influencing Employee Commitment – 6 Ways How to Do It - June 18, 2018
