Intersection of culture and commitment

#culturaltransformation and #commitment go hand in hand.

For some time I was wondering ?what a suitable trigger for someone could be, in order for them to identify the inner source of commitment and give it to a cause or a mission.

Commitment can be challenging because it requires a significant investment of time, energy, and resources. However, when we are committed to a cause or mission, it can bring a sense of purpose and fulfilment to our lives.

To identify the inner source of commitment, one way is to reflect on your personal values and beliefs. Obviously you need to have had this conversation with yourself already. That said, if an individual is not able to articulate what their values and beliefs are, it does not mean they don’t have any. They just have not articulated and voiced it yet. And They might well live upon them without having them expressed black and white.

So, let me go back and not forget: Ask yourself what is important to you and what motivates you to take action. This can help you to clarify your goals and identify causes or missions that align with your values and beliefs. This is not about changing your values and beliefs in order to match a cause, it is about evaluating if the cause is aligned with your values and if you can buy into that.

Another approach to stick to a commitment is to consider the impact that you could have on others or on society as a whole. Ask yourself how your actions could make a positive difference in the personal relationship, project or the world, and imagine what it would feel like to make a meaningful contribution.

Obviously, and in the context of corporate life, this is becoming complicated as goals and targets of an organisation can only leave limited room for the individual within that system to feel they are having an impact or following a higher purpose. Specially if the target is an economically driven one.

It's also important to recognize that commitment is not always easy, and there may be times when you face challenges or setbacks. In these moments, it can be helpful to remind yourself of the reasons why you made the commitment in the first place and to draw on your inner strength and resilience to keep going.

Ultimately, the source of commitment comes from within, and it requires a deep sense of purpose and motivation to sustain it over the long term. By reflecting on your values, considering the impact of your actions, and drawing on your inner strength, you can cultivate a strong sense of commitment to a cause or mission that is meaningful to you.

so let me simplify this for you:

• Think about what you're passionate about and what issues or causes you care about. This can help you identify the inner source of your commitment.
• Consider the positive impact that you can have on others or the society around you by committing to a cause or mission that you believe in. Imagine what it would feel like to make a difference and inspire others to do the same.
• Recognize that commitment isn't always easy and may involve challenges or setbacks. In these moments, remind yourself of the reasons why you made the commitment and draw on your inner strength and resilience to keep going.

Let's further explore the concept of commitment, this time intersected with culture.

During the times of a cultural transformation, you often find a gap between companies’ goals or ambitions and what the core motives or drivers of the employees are. So how do we win the mass for a cultural shift and can this always be done?

When an organization undergoes a cultural transformation, it's not just a shift in policies or procedures, but a change in the underlying values and beliefs that guide the behaviour of individuals within the organization.

In this context, commitment becomes even more important, as individuals need to align with the new values and behaviours in order for the transformation to be successful.

so let’s set the bar here already: before going for a cultural shift, double check the gap of values between your people and your organisation. If that gap is too big, this is not going to go anywhere. Choices are simple: you cannot easily and fundamentally change individual’s core values. Those are rooted. But you can change those of your organisation and create a new one based on your people. That gets them even more engaged. If you cannot let go of your organisational positioning, you need other people with better match to your culture.

Assuming the gap isn’t that huge and it is paying off to take action, one way to approach this is to consider the factors that influence individual commitment in the context of organizational culture. Some of these factors may include:

• To help individuals understand the reasons behind the cultural transformation, leaders should communicate the vision and goals of the transformation clearly and consistently. This can be done through regular town hall meetings, workshops, and other forms of communication.
• To ensure employees are committed to the cultural transformation, leaders should involve them in the process. This can be done by forming cross-functional teams and task forces to identify and address key issues related to the transformation.
• To foster a culture of commitment, leaders should lead by example. This means demonstrating the values and behaviors that are expected of employees during the transformation.
• To address resistance to the cultural transformation, leaders should identify and address the root causes of resistance. This can be done through active listening and engaging in dialogue with employees to understand their concerns.
• To sustain commitment to the cultural transformation, leaders should celebrate successes and milestones along the way. This can be done through recognition programs, team events, and other forms of acknowledgement.

By focusing on these factors, you can help build a culture of commitment and successfully navigate your cultural transformation. It's important to recognize that cultural transformation is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process that requires ongoing attention and commitment from individuals at all levels of the organization.

I guess this is a good point to close and hope you have some food for thoughts. Join us on NeuralJam for our cultural transformation program and dive deeper, share, ask, debate and contribute.