A common experience has been the starting of a project that results in
incompletion. That is, a project can start off with management
speeches, lots of energy, people excited to work on it, but over time
it fizzles out. People on the project teams are pulled onto other
projects, other fires pop up, limitations in personal skill sets are
reached and interst level starts to wane. Lack of someone accountable
to drive and be accountable for the project has frequently been blamed
as the reason for the death of it. "We just need someone to push this,
to keep it a priority".
I started to think about the need for a driver, which resulted in
thinking about Senges ideas about compliance vs commitment. Utilizing
a driver or someone to be accountable is an example of an
organziational model based on compliance. That is fine and a lot can
be accomplished with genuine compliance. My feeling is, is that this
may create a self fulfilling prophesy. That is, if you treat people
like they need to have someone to hold them accountable, to comply
with a driver, then the normal mode of operation in the organization
will be compliance. If you want to build an organization of commited
individuals, utilizing "drivers" and holding people accountable will
not get you there, and may result in the endless need for people to
drive projects. This may create an organization that lacks innovation
and initiative to spot problems and work on them more spontaneosly
(but very well behaved and compliant).
As part of moving more towards commitment, I asked myself a practical
question, "what things can I do to generate commitment in people
working on a project?" Senge very nicely describes the different
levels of commitment in the 5th Discipline (page 219) ranging from
commitment to apathy. (His description is actually in relation to
peoples enrollment in a vision, but I am using it in this example as
an enrollment in a project). My vision is to one day have individual
contributors and teams identify issues and somewhat spontaneously work
on them and close them without the need to have it driven from the top
or identified as important by another level of the organization. To
one day utilize the creativity and capabilty of the entire
organization. I believe this requires true commitment from line
workers.
So I'm looking for any suggestions on practical ways to build more
commitment to a project, as Senge describes it, commitment is "Wants
it. Will make it happen. Creates whatever "laws" (structures) are
needed.". Here is what my understanding of what Senge is saying.
To build commitment in others for a project :
a. Be committed yourself.
- Understand your commitment level. Why is it important to you to
do this project? How does this relate to your personal goals? How
does this relate to longer term goals? What is important to you
besides this (what other projects are competing for your interest)?
Personal gain? Staying out of harms way?
b. Let the other person choose.
- Other person must go through (a). Plant the seed for (a) type of
thinking to occur. Commitment cannot be delegated or driven, but can
only be chosen.
c. Be on the level. No promises or hype or trickery.
- Understand the difference and be explicit about compliance vs.
commitment. Don't disguise compliance. Begin to draw distinctions
between the two to further understanding of it. Plant the seed for
future commitment. Ask for compliance if you need or want it. Know
yourself when to recognize the differences between the two.
In the short term then, you can do nothing to others. As with many
improvement initiatives, the improvement begins with yourself. Others
must likewise choose on their own. You can only create an environment
that may foster the thinking to occur. Be clear yourself and utilize
language that leads to new mental models (ways of thinking).
I would appreciate any comments to what I've written. Thanks a lot.