Earning Commitment Beyond the Paycheck
by Linda Sasser
Commitment is a trade off. In the business world, the employee will only give the amount of commitment that they first get from their leader. A traditional trade off example is the almighty paycheck. In the past, many bosses have relied solely on the paycheck to gain commitment from their employees.
Relying on money to keep people committed is a common employer mishap. Yes, it's true that an employee will stay at their job for money, but let's be careful not to mistake staying as commitment to the leader or to the company. Their sticking around is most likely a commitment to something else, like providing for their family. The employee's strong commitment to their responsibility of earning income is what makes the money exchange worth it. However, paychecks can be earned most anywhere. If a leader only has a paycheck commitment from their employees, they are at risk of losing them to bigger paychecks at other companies.
As leaders our goal should be to gain commitment at a deeper and much more fulfilling level for both us and our employees. Here are five actions to help you gain commitment beyond the paycheck:
We all want engaged employees, and we don't have to spend more money to get it, but there is a cost. The cost is our level of commitment and what we, as leaders, are willing to give beyond the paycheck.
About the Author
Linda Sasser is the CEO of Impacting Leaders, a firm focused on helping companies with their leadership development and organizational effectiveness needs. Linda has over 25 years' experience in developing businesses, leading teams, and directing sales programs, which include stewarding the John Maxwell corporate leadership development brand; leading efforts to achieve $2 billion in sales while serving as the vice president of sales and marketing at Express Employment Professionals; and owning and operating five Express Employment Professionals staffing franchises. Connect with Linda and Impacting Leaders on their website at www.impactingleaders.com, on Linda's leadership blog at www.leadershipwithsass.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/ILHappyHour or on Twitter at twitter.com/impactingleadrs.