Commitment vs Compliance
As a teacher, I have had a love/hate relationship with lesson plans. When I was required to do them, I was resentful and sometimes rebellious. I met the letter of the law (most of the time) and complied with what was asked of me. However, the further in my career I went, the more I realized that when I at least created a broad plan of what I wanted to accomplish that day or week, I felt more prepared and equipped to be effective in my teaching. My perspective shifted from a compliance mindset to a committed one.
Every day we are faced with a wide range of tasks and responsibilities that fit somewhere on the continuum of compliance to commitment. To be honest, most things we do fall somewhere in the middle of “have to” and “want to”. In our work and in our relationships, we daily encounter situations that require us to assess our motivation to complete the job at hand. Sometimes it takes everything we have (and then some) to get through the task. Other times, we are surprised at how quickly the time went while we were doing the work.
From an individual point-of-view, we want to build our lives around people and opportunities that resonate with who we are and with what we believe. This takes intentional effort and substantial time to navigate our way through situations and decisions over our lifetime. When we have a choice to move toward a more committed foundation instead of a compliant one, we shift toward a more intrinsically enriching life.
From a leader’s point-of-view, it is imperative that we create an environment where others can choose commitment over compliance. At a minimum, we can reduce the mandated elements of the work to only those things that are non-negotiable. As often as possible, we need to create an atmosphere of trust and autonomy so that others can wholeheartedly invest in their jobs.
No matter whether it’s our personal or professional perspective, a life that is driven by commitment versus compliance is far more meaningful and fulfilling. Anything we can do to shift our lives toward the “want to” side of the continuum is worth the investment.