Why do People Talk the Talk But do not Walk the Talk ?

There is a burgeoning dichotomy between words and action as well as?promises and fulfilment in this world. The growing gap between intention and execution generates not only disenchantment but gives rise to acrimony and disputes. In general as well as professional lives, this trend is a serious disruptor of harmony and it has attained such gigantic proportions as to make many people to ignore these aberrations with contempt. Nowadays, people who make tall promises and huge commitments do not even have an iota of remorse when their statements do not lead to fruition. For this scheming lot, escape routes are available and many protective shields are used to insulate them from blame. This futile cycle goes on without much protest but today's imperatives demand performance, accountability and timely execution.The huge gulf between assurance and failure is effectively portrayed by the idiom " Talk the talk but do not walk the talk ". Let us analyze the reasons and the barriers which are responsible for the unproductive chain of lofty intentions and miserable outcomes.

Fear of Failure

Professionals as well as Politicians become euphoric when they talk about ideals, improvements, innovation and path breaking initiatives etc. through their gift of the gab but when the time comes for implementation to obtain results, pragmatism overshadows ideas, fear of failure dominates over noble intentions and possible backlash due to negative results overtakes their enthusiasm to achieve results. They invariably go into a protective shell and prefer dormancy to activity so that status quo continues without any tangible initiatives or progress.

Glib Talk, No Commitment

There are many instances where people play to the gallery to amass support or gain instant appreciation more for short term prominence and not necessarily with a? commitment?to achieve the goals. Their statements are not a reflection of their intent or perception but they resort to glib talk with ambiguous plans, loose statements without?exhibiting any firm resolve to improve matters. These people have a deceptive?game plan and a crafty mindset to fulfil short term goals or achieve instant glory. Their promises are made without any advance preparation and are generally off-the-cuff only. They can neither be trusted nor can they be made accountable at a future date since they can easily sneak away with several excuses.

Genuine Hurdles / Priority Shift

Changed situational demands, external influences, shifting Market demand and priorities could result in sidetracking promised commitments. They also need to be evaluated strictly against the commitments made already. The priority changes should be communicated to all the stakeholders to ensure confidence in the changed direction instead of adopting an opaque approach to avoid criticism. Most of these perceptive differences could be resolved through transparent communication to confirm that commitment to the earlier promises is still alive but only the priority is shifted. Any changes in plan should be accompanied with confidence building measures through participative approach.?

Overcommitment

At times, people overestimate the capability by aiming for the moon which invariably leads to overcommitment. It takes time and wisdom for realism to dawn in their minds. This makes them appreciate the role of ambitious overreach in the commitments made. Though?their intent is genuine and potential is unquestionable, commitment is an art governed by a balanced mind and impeccable judgment. The overzealous politicians fall easy prey to the growing appetite for power and the frenzy to garner support. This certainly will lead to large scale disenchantment and restlessness due to non-fulfilment of promises.?

Lack of Accountability

Commitment is a byproduct of the environment and accountability is the enabler of fulfilment. Lack of accountability?in the system gives rise to wayward commitments without any serious intentions since the fear of reprisal or censure is absent in the system. This makes people seek the path of least resistance by?choosing the convenient option. Such an atmosphere breeds the culture of making commitments without conviction which ultimately leads to " Talk without walk " practices. If people are held accountable and responsible for their words and actions, this becomes the driving force for fulfilling commitments with seriousness and dedication. With public memory being short and commitments are of no value, the people at the receiving end become the innocent victims of such manipulative practices.

How do we narrow down the gap between commitment and fulfilment ? Both systemic improvements and elevating the personal characteristics as well as adherence to ethical standards are crucial to build an atmosphere of honesty in the transactional domain. Words do have intrinsic value and are capable of igniting hope and confidence in others. Words without value quotient are just worthless cacophony without relevance.The steps adopted to inject commitment should add value and meaning to the words.?

1) Set goals for a short term or visible territory to make it realistic and achievable. Long term objectives are fine but commitments for a longer horizon tend to become unrealistic over time. Zeal for achievement also remains firm over shorter time zones.The overall objectives should be broken into shorter milestones for easy monitoring, better conformity and dedication.?

2) Any system or procedure would become infructuous without an inbuilt accountability. The leaders in the Organization, the political High command structure and the Project initiators have to struggle to build a model with a competent workforce who are accountable for the results.This process is tough but building this model at the initial stages would certainly be easier and long lasting. One should remember " What gets measured gets done " which emphasizes the need for frequent evaluation, course correction, if needed and to accelerate the progress?towards the achievement of set goals.?

3) Value generation should be the core of any exercise at every?stage. Value addition itself is a significant?motivator to?achieve targeted?results. The top leadership should evolve value-oriented initiatives to?keep the?morale?high which has?the potential to infuse commitment in the atmosphere.

4) No system is trouble-free, no route is safer and no attempt is foolproof. The success lies in traversing the untrodden path,?discovering new?methods and achieving trailblazing results. In this journey, the essence of success lies in building a compatible?and effective team which will generate a system with promises in the right direction to fulfill the commitments.

In the ultimate analysis, walking the talk is not just about fulfilling commitments but it encapsulates confidence, trust, better relationships and value content in the environment.?

Rajarao Kumar

Bengaluru?