People won’t bust their tails for just anybody. They have their reasons—good ones--when they dedicate themselves to their work. Usually the relationship has a lot to do with it.
Dedication rarely comes without reciprocity--or some mutual benefit. You have to be invested in people if you want them to invest in their work.
That’s not always as easy as it sounds. For example, in today’s world of rapid change, you can’t promise job security. You can’t protect everyone from anxiety and job stress. You can’t keep from having to make hard moves that may derail or even harm their careers. Sometimes you have to do things at the expense of the individual for the good of the organization.
Still, you can be fiercely dedicated to helping people succeed in the jobs they face. You can commit yourself to support them and provide the resources they need. You can invest in their training, education, and overall employability. You can encourage them, believe in them, and back them up in their work.
Beyond that, you can dedicate yourself to honesty, to always being trustworthy and above board in your dealings with them. Unless they have experienced you as a colleague or manager in the past, their dedication will come cautiously if at all. Make it clear that they can count on you to do what’s possible on their behalf.
It always comes down to this: You’ve got to be caring and dedicated toward people for them to be caring and dedicated to their work. We play how we are coached.
The trust level typically drops during change. People grow wary. More self-protective. They interrupt unpopular events as solid evidence that the organization lacks commitment to employees.
And right or wrong, perceptions run the show.
This means you must provide generous proof to the contrary. Leave no doubt about your dedication to your people.
Commitment usually travels on a two-way street.
To perform well while under pressure, we need to develop habits to work more effectively. Making the right decisions, engaging with others effectively, learning to manage our own emotions takes practice.
Driving Dedication During Change: A pocket guide for becoming an effective linchpin enables you with all the tools and tactics you need to make your interactions less stressful and more effective.