Motivation has key role in successful workplace but commitment is king

Commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to another person, group, cause, goal or activity.

Research conducted last year by the Centre for Workplace Leadership at the University of Melbourne found that 75 per cent of employees believe they need better managers and leaders.

The 2015 Addressing Enterprise Leadership in Australia report by the Australian Industry Group indicated Australia had moved significantly backwards in leadership capability compared with other nations.

Australian managers over-estimate themselves, and only 44 per cent of workers believe their senior leaders are effective. This compares with 52 per cent globally.

Gallup estimates the cost of lack of employee engagement at $54.8 billion a year.

Within this context, motivating staff through increased engagement as a path to high performance continues to have traction within organisations. While it is true that motivated staff perform better that those who are not motivated, it is also true that high performance requires more than motivation.

Motivation is about desire and it is always necessary at the start of a new project or initiative. An inspirational seminar or TED talk, for example, will inspire, energise and motivate employees but the effects are short-lived and do not lead to action and results. That’s why most people never achieve their new year’s resolutions.

Leaders need to realise that when it comes to motivation, one size does not fit all.

While certain age and generational groups may be motivated by money and stability, others are motivated by career opportunities, work-life balance or location. So, if motivation doesn’t cut it, what does?

Commitment — not motivation — leads to high performance. It is not without reason that Margaret Mead said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to another person, group, cause, goal or activity. Commitment is enduring and leads to sustained action and results. Individuals who are committed are devoted, loyal and faithful to their cause.

Bosses need to understand that employees’ commitment does not stem from a single cause. For example, some staff may feel a level of commitment because the organisation has invested in training them and they feel morally obliged to “repay the debt”.

The game changes when employees choose to be committed because they strongly identify with the organisation’s mission, values, and purpose, and therefore are emotionally connected to their employer. Such individuals put additional discretionary effort into their work. They make sacrifices to get work done, to help others, to seek opportunities to perform better or to volunteer for additional duties.

Such employees also experience creative thinking and a positive orientation towards change by generating and/or adopting new ideas or practices, promoting and championing new ideas to others, and persevering in implementing promising ideas — the essence of innovative behaviour. They are the ones who consistently deliver high performance.

Satisfaction, fulfilment of expectations, trust and fairness drive commitment and discretionary effort. Leaders who act with integrity by being true to their word, who are open and proactive when unable to do so, who behave in a way that is reasoned and equitable, who earn and maintain trust from their followers, are commitment-makers.

Sebastian Salicru is a leadership development expert and author of Leadership Results: How to Create Adaptive Leaders and High-Performing Organisations for an Uncertain World.