Give people responsibility; their dedication grows. It's a fantastic thing to watch.

People who crave responsibility are understandably excited up when it comes their way, but what about those who are more inclined to avoid it? Some prefer to dodge duty. Perhaps they find additional responsibility to be a personal burden and a further drag on their sense of commitment.

Hard to say. But whether people want it or not, responsibility for results increases dedication. Responsibility means more work. It means more stress and pressure. Yet, it almost always causes dedication to rise due to an individual desire to meet an appropriate challenge and achieve goals. The opposite is also true: Leave people with no responsibilities--expect nothing from them--and you're likely to end up with zero dedication.

Increased responsibility is a loud statement about the amount of trust we place in others. Delegating responsibilities implies confidence in them, belief in their ability to deliver. Receiving responsibility stimulates people's desire to prove your faith is well-founded. Dedication increases. Task ownership is closely tied to commitment, and responsibility for a task done well plays a role in this. When you need to make changes (such as improvements or innovating new solutions), people are more dedicated to making the changes work if they have ownership of them. They "own" their outcomes. For instance, working down a set of issues by assigning small swat teams helps the group invest themselves in making sure their approach succeeds.

Like it or not, the responsibilities you assign to employees makes a statement about their worth and abilities. Handle it so every person feels worthy and competent and watch the impact it has on the group.

The paradox of change: People feel busier than ever, but productivity sags.
Obviously, mere activity is not the answer. “Busy just leads to burnout, causing the fire of dedication to flicker and die.
The secret is to assign your people responsibility for outcomes, to hold them personally accountable for results.
Productivity is reborn. And dedication, like a phoenix, rises from the ashes.

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.