The Importance of Commitment

Copyright 2008 by Charles R. Schaul, Boulder, Colorado. All rights reserved.

Of all the character traits exhibited by people, keeping commitments ranks at the top of the list for importance. Neither business nor personal relationships can exist where people don't keep commitments.

Here's what I mean. Last winter I moved my residence, and since I live simply, I decided to do the moving myself -- with the help of friends. I needed three friends to load the van at the old house and three other friends at the new house on the other side of town. Sounds easy.

After having heard all sorts of responses, from "I'll try to be there" to "I'll do my best to help you," I began to re-think what it means to receive a solid, full commitment versus what I'll call a "half commitment." I realized I couldn't get the van loaded with half commitments, but only by people who committed themselves completely and said, "I'll be there." Anything less meant furniture on the sidewalk, not in the van, or in the van but not in my new space.

Commitment means accepting an obligation, making a pledge, to either do or not do something. It seems simple, either you will or you will not do something. How is it that for some people the concept seems so vague? Making and keeping commitments is the cornerstone of our society. When you make a sale on credit, you are accepting your customer's commitment that in the future the bill will be paid. When you make a purchase with a credit card, it is done because you have made a commitment to the issuer of the card that you will pay the bill. It's plain and simple -- our business world relies on commitments every moment of every day.

Teachers and writers talk about five levels of commitment. Perhaps this will help understand what it means to make a commitment, versus making "half" of one. Here are typical responses for levels one through five.

Level 1 commitment - "I won't do it"

Level 2 commitment - "I'll do it if it's easy"

Level 3 commitment - "I'll try"

Level 4 commitment - "I'll do my best"

Level 5 commitment - "I will do it (provided it is moral, ethical and legal)"

This makes commitment seem easy.

Level 1 is a strong commitment -- not to do something. Level 5 is a strong commitment -- to do something. None of the others commit a person to achieving results, only to an effort (unless the task is easy.)

Level 2 commits a person to an activity provided it is easy. What happens if the task becomes hard? Would you want to rely on someone who gave you a level 2 commitment?

Level 3 - "I'll try" is the biggest cop-out of all. Trying gets you nowhere. It commits you to making an effort, and not necessarily good effort, but does not commit to achieving results.

Level 4 - "I'll do my best" sounds good, and in essence is a strong commitment -- but to an activity and not a result. What happens if "my best" is not good enough? Do you stop there? If you have made a level 4 commitment you do, because you committed to an effort and not to results.

Level 5 - "I will do it" (provided it is moral, ethical and legal) means that within the framework of what is moral, ethical and legal, everything possible will be done. This is a commitment to achieving results. Just like Level 1, there is absolute clarity here about what will happen. There is nothing weak or wishy-washy about Level 5 commitment.

Think of it this way, commitment is for the hard tasks -- you don't need it for the easy ones. Keeping commitments builds personal character, builds business reliability, and builds business relationships.

Remember the vendor who promised to "try" to get your important supplies to you on time, and then didn't. Were you told they would "do their best." Did that keep your machines running, or your copier supplied, or your freezer stocked for tonight's dinner crowd? What about the customer who "does his best" to pay his account with you. Can you spend "his best?" Would you rather receive the promise "I will have money to you by 3:00PM," versus "I'll try to get money to you by 3:00PM."

How many times have you waited to have a carpet cleaned, or a lawn mowed, or a TV fixed, and had to call the company later because no one showed up? Were you told "we're sorry, we tried?" As inconvenient as it is, when US West tells you the service person will be at your house between noon and 6:00PM, you can count on that happening. US West has learned a method of making schedules so that they can keep their commitments. That's better than promising a specific time for the service work and then not keeping the commitment.

Commitment doesn't have to be with others. Commitment to yourself has equal importance. If you set out to do a task, do you commit to it at Level 5, or at some lower level? Do you quit when difficulties arise, or do you use that commitment to get you through the tough times, to expand your thinking and your efforts to achieve a result that otherwise looks impossible. Commitment to a result will create a result. Lack of commitment to a result will create frustration, disappointment, failure.

Is this just semantics? Some people would say so. They are the ones who don't make strong commitments, who try and do their best most of the time. For those who make only those commitments they can keep, and then make sure they keep them, this is not an exercise in semantics.

Do you make commitments? Do you keep your commitments? Think about it the next time you tell a customer, client, vendor (or your children), "I'll try." Think about the words you will use next time you are asked to commit yourself to a task or an appointment. Level 1 or Level 5, or something in between?

Charles R. Schaul, Partner of SixPillars Research Group, focuses on increasing business profits by resolving the problem of customer attrition. Aligning companies with their customers; generating and implementing strategic initiatives; and promoting employees’ customer focus through commitment, responsibility and accountability combine to achieve the result.