Are They Really Uncommitted?

 Robert E. Kelley

Tepper School of Business
Carnegie Mellon University

The initial premise: "How do you lead the perceived to be uncommitted?" is problematic. It begs the question: "To what (or whom) are they uncommitted?" Are the individuals uncommitted as a life stance or are they uncommitted to what you want them to be committed. In my experience, very few folks are truly uncommitted. Yes, some lost souls do populate the planet, but they almost never join organizations, especially organizations that demand participation, such as the military. The act of joining, all by itself, requires motivation and commitment. Some folks might not fully realize what the demands of the commitment are, others might make the commitment lightly, and a few may be very motivated to un-do their decision to join -- but they are not "uncommitted."

The issue, then, is perhaps better stated: how do you lead people who are committed to something other than what you want them to be committed. Or, they may share your commitment, but at a lower level of intensity. When my followership research started 30 years ago, I distinguished between followers who were committed to the organization and those who did not share that commitment. We were careful, however, to remember that someone who appears uncommitted is probably committed to something else. Consider the difference between a patriotic, duty bound soldier and a mercenary. One is committed to the country and its values; the other is not. But the mercenary is not uncommitted by a long shot. He or she may be committed to money, power, the adrenaline rush of action, or even a cause of some sort.

Step 1: Take a Cue from the Tailor

Top notch tailors, drawing upon skill and experience, can size up people pretty well. But, even so, they always measure and re-measure the customer each time she or he comes in for a new purchase. Likewise good leaders "measure" their "followers" (or those under your command). The first step, then, is to not make two problematic assumptions: 1) that you "know" or can intuit what drives your people, and 2) that your followers share your commitment. Chances are you have an incomplete picture of both.

One of your first jobs as a leader is to understand what motivates your subordinates. Why did they join the larger organization? How does their membership help them meet some goal (or multiple goals)? What is that goal: self-esteem, escape from their prior life, parental approval, money, future career progression, or something else entirely? Are they primarily moving away from or, instead, toward .

something? What are their personal goals outside of the organization? How do their organizational membership and success tie into those larger life goals?

While gathering goal knowledge, also learn about what they find rewarding. A big mistake that many large organizations make is "one-size-fits-all" reward systems. The reality is that some people are motivated more by money while others prefer promotions. Ribbons make some people feel special, while a hand written note to the family makes another beam. Also, find out what is punishing for those rare times you have to resort to it. Canceling weekend leave has little effect on someone who has nowhere to go. A strong chewing out may cause a meltdown in some, while it is water on a duck’s back to others. People also have a tendency to prefer either internal or external rewards/punishments. Those who derive their own rewards are very different than those who look to others for strokes. Learning the very individualized psychological, social, and economic rewards of each follower gives you the connections you need between someone’s goals and the action required to achieve those goals.

This more global understanding of motivation and rewards forms the foundation for leading them day-to-day. How does their specific job in your unit tie into their larger motivational scheme? How do the rewards of their job overlap with their personal reward system? What can you do to more closely match what they want and what you have at your disposal to offer?

Step 2: Take a Cue from the Coach

Every good coach must make decisions as to which players are let on the bus for the game. The first decision involves who to leave home because they either lack the skills to contribute or they lack commitment to the team. For the players on the bus, the coach must distinguish between three levels of commitment: those who get dressed for the game but don’t really want to play, those who play but are OK with losing, and those that give their all to winning.

A common mistake, as we saw above, is for leaders to assume that their followers have the same goals and commitments. At best, you will have large overlaps. But, except in a very few instances (and usually when life and death are at stake), there is a divergence. What you want out of your temporary shared experience is probably quite different than what they want. You might see a career ahead of you, when, more than likely, they see a job. These differences matter.

Even when you share the same goals and motivations, the intensity of your commitment will likely vary. While you may want to maximize performance, they might deem it better to do what my late colleague (and Nobel Laureate) Herb Simon labeled "satisficing," that is, to do it just good enough. So, your challenge is to know their commitment level. This is the base from which you build.

Step 3: Take a Cue from the Star Followers

My study of star followers has yielded many important lessons for leaders. Foremost is that too many leaders think that people are following them because they are, well, such great leaders. They have the "right stuff," and people just naturally follow it. Or they believe that their organizational role gives them the "right" to expect that people will follow. In contrast, I discovered that the best followers seldom follow people because of who they are or because they occupy an organizational role of leadership. .

Sure, they will carry out decisions, but they do not really follow. Instead, the stars follow goals, causes, ideals, and much less than anyone expected, people who have earned their respect.

To be a good leader, you have to get over yourself. You are not center stage. An important part of your job is to help your people be center stage. As I’ve said many times: "The best leaders are not heroes; they are hero-makers." If a leader needs to be the hero, then step down and let someone else take the job.

It is at this point that leaders can emulate star followers who look to connect with someone who is going to the same place that they are. An important part of the leader’s job is to create a shared context. You now know what drives your followers. Create the bridges from where they are to where you need them to go. Help them see that they can fulfill their dreams by being part of your (or the organization’s) plan.

Step 4: Take a Cue from the Sergeant’s Sales Pitch

Once you’ve identified the bridges between your commitment level to the organization’s goals and the goals/commitments of your subordinates, then you need to communicate them in a compelling way. You can’t expect the links to be obvious. Keep in mind that your "audience" knows you have your own agenda. So you have to put it in a way that is easily understood by them to be in their own self-interest.

During World War II, the U.S. government decided to offer a life insurance policy to the common soldiers. They thought that it would provide an economic cushion to those families left behind by fallen soldiers. The lieutenants were given the job of explaining the policy to their troops. In one particular unit, the lieutenant passed out the papers and went through a very thorough step-by-step explanation of the $10,000 benefit for $6/month ($139,000 and $85/month in 2011 dollars). After his well-reasoned presentation, he got no takers. An old sergeant asked for permission to explain the program. The lieutenant was a bit miffed, but agreed, feeling that the Sarge couldn’t do a better job. Sarge asked a simple question: Who do you think the government is going to send to the front lines first: the ones who would cost $10,000 if they are killed or the ones who would cost nothing." Everyone bought the insurance.

Step 5: Take a Cue from your Committed Followers

Finally, don’t over focus on the uncommitted. Instead, give first attention to the people who are already with the program. They are the foundation for your success, so secure their participation. Use the advice above to get to know what drives them and why they are committed. Which would you rather have: 1) a 95% highly committed team that feels acknowledged and valued by the leader with 5% peripheral, uncommitted players, or 2) a team where the 5% who were uncommitted are now on board, but the rest of the team feels like the squeaky wheels got the oil?

Also, use your committed followers as a resource. Your star followers are your ears and eyes into your unit. They have access to the conversations that you, because of your position of authority, will never have. So, ask them what is going on in the unit and what is with the uncommitted members who are sitting on the fence or dragging their heels. You are not asking them to snitch, but rather, how to build a stronger unit. .

Finally, never forget the power of the group to influence an individual’s behavior. Rather than see yourself as the solution, consider how the group can pull people to perform in desired ways. Peer pressure is a powerful force and must be used with care. But, it does work.

Conclusion

Think of iron shavings scattered randomly on a board. The five steps above (and other complementary strategies) are like a magnet that you pass over them. With each pass, more of the shavings form a line, becoming their own magnet. Eventually, even the farthest most shaving will snap into place.