One of the on-going tasks of new managers is gaining the kind of buy-in and commitment to projects that will result in high productivity. It’s a common scenario for the new manager. She focuses on project objectives, making certain they’re well understood by her team, creates a schedule, talks through the issues that she believes may create difficulty for her team, and sets them free.
She checks in with a team member the next day, only to find out that little has moved off the dime. Why does this happen?
One reason is that new managers often ignore a simple fact: commitment happens at an emotional level rather than at a rational level. For assignments to gain the kind of support from individuals that results in success, managers will need to understand the commitment process.
As a hands-on consultant who does a lot more than develop plans or advise, I have to gain the personal commitment necessary to achieve agreed-upon objectives. I’ve found that the commitment process has three distinct stages.
Understanding: This stage is about making certain through explanation and clarification that the information has moved from my mind to the receiver’s gray matter and that she understands it. Often, managers seem to assume that understanding or talking about something is all that’s necessary to achieve the desired results.
Buy-in: The second stage focuses on the beliefs of the individual. Here, you’ll want to make certain that the individual understands the personal implications of this task, and believes it will benefit both the organization and herself. Beliefs, in contrast to information and mere understanding, are about emotions.
Ownership: This is the ultimate stage, the point where the individual accepts personal responsibility for helping you achieve your objectives. Typically, this is where the team member starts talking about timelines and asking about the processes of achievement. In effect, the team member says that she is taking personal responsibility for implementation. I typically close off the conversation with, “Let me double-check. What are the next two or three steps you’re going to take?”
Managers need emotional commitment, not just the compliance of their team members. You can’t get that without highly focused interpersonal communication.