In order to gain more clarity on the Commitment model, and to dive a bit deeper on how this can be done successfully, I found a couple of additional resources speaking more to it. They all had some good and bad aspects, but the resource I found most valuable was actually the Wikipedia page on High Commitment Management. Yes, I realize this is a Wikipedia article, but it was a great roundup of information, and from it I was able to conclude that there are three big things managers should make sure they are doing to create a climate for the Commitment model to thrive:
Encourage Collaboration and Teamwork- People are social creatures and working in a team creates a bond and sense of obligation to teammates. This of course assumes that there is a general sense of kindred belonging among teammates (implying both the idea of "fit" mentioned in the article, and also a need for ongoing teambuilding and communication exercises)
Ask for Communication and Team Input- The article mentioned an anecdote where managers interviewed workers to get their opinion of a light, which correlated with higher sense of purpose within the organization. People like to feel that their opinion matters, and when it matters to their workplace it is another way to create the sense of ownership and fit necessary to long-term retention.
Allowing for Independence and Creativity- I think that the success of this has to do with something being told to employees on a deeper level--they are trusted. The commitment model in many ways is about relationship-building, and no relationship can succeed if there is not a basis of trust. This implies that a manager should take care in learning about potential employees to gain the confidence that they can, in fact, trust them.
Do you have any more ideas for what managers should do to maintain this model in their startup?
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