In virtually every kind of business you can name, employee engagement is a critical ingredient in successful performance.
You want people to genuinely “own” their job responsibilities? Help them catch the vision of the “why” elements in their work and how it affects both them and their end-users. Sure, you want your people to comply with certain standards. You also need their commitment.
Compliance and commitment are sometimes viewed as “opposites.” In reality, they work best when combined.
Here’s some perspective.
If there were ever an organization whose reason for being is compliance, it would be the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The agency’s role is to formulate policies and develop regulations to ensure safe use of radioactive materials. This is very serious business. And a critical component of the desired outcome of the NRC’s work is strict compliance with policies and regulations designed to protect the public.
But let’s consider another paradigm that’s every bit as important to the work and mission of the NRC. That’s the paradigm of commitment. Obviously, we want everyone in the nuclear industry to comply with policies and regulations that ensure safety. That is doing the right thing.
At the same time, we want them to operate in compliance—not just because they want to avoid getting written up—but because they understand and agree with the rationale behind policies, regulations, and stacks and stacks of rules.
That involves commitment. That involves doing the right thing for the right reasons.
I was once discussing this very subject with a bright young manager at a nuclear power plant. He clearly understood the importance of compliance, but seemed to be struggling with the role of commitment. “What difference does it make?” he asked. “As long as people are doing what they’re told to do, why does it matter what their motivation is?”
I noticed in his office he had photos of his young family. I engaged him in conversation about his adorable children.
“Do you have seatbelt laws in your state?” I asked.
“Yes, we do. And they’re well enforced,” the young father told me.
“Do you buckle up your children?”
“Absolutely. They have the best car seats money can buy and I always crawl into the back seat to ensure that they’re strapped in correctly.”
“So, you invest that effort to avoid getting a citation from the police?” I asked.
“Why, no. That never occurred to me,” he said. “I buckle up my kids because I love them and want to keep them safe.”
“Ah, ha,” I said. “That is commitment. You’re doing the right thing for the right reasons. You’re not motivated by fear, you’re motivated by love—which is a much higher purpose.”
Yes, I know. “Love” is not a word we often hear in the workplace.
But we certainly hear a lot of synonyms: “He really has a passion for excellent service.” “Our team gets excited every time we land a new client.” “Customer care is our first priority.”
It’s possible for people to operate out of compliance while they have very little commitment. But the opposite is virtually impossible. If one is truly committed, compliance is rarely an issue. The young father was genuinely committed to the safety of his children, so his compliance with safety laws was automatic.
Remember that principle as you lead and coach others. When the “why” of desired behaviors is clear, the “what” and the “how” are relatively easy.
Dr. Rodger Dean Duncan is the award-winning, bestselling author of CHANGE-friendly LEADERSHIP: How to Transform Good Intentions into Great Performance. For a FREE copy of his book, click here.
