Have you taken the temperature on the commitment and dedication levels at work recently? If you find there is room for improvement, perhaps this recent study could be of help…
In the last few years, we have seen many international studies revealing that commitment and dedication are lacking in many workplaces. For example, a few years ago, Gallup presented a study which showed that only 16 per cent of Swedish employees felt they were really committed to their work.
A recent study by American ADP Research Institute confirms these numbers. Out of just over 19,000 employees from around the world, only 16 per cent said they were really dedicated to their work. Most were passive (not negative, but lacking dedication and involvement) and a small group expressed being negative (and, in certain cases, even working against their organisation).
What is interesting about the ADPRI study, is that they went one step further to find out exactly what it is that the dedicated employees feel has brought about their dedication. Two things stood out, and it is not the company increasing their profit or breaking sales records…
Instead, according to Forbes Business Magazine, who shared some of the findings of this study, dedication and commitment are born out of two much softer values: the feeling of belonging to a team and the knowledge that you can trust your boss.
Since so few profess feeling dedicated and committed, it begs the question how much team spirit and trust for the boss there actually is in our workplaces. What it boils down to is one thing: efficient and successful communication between everyone in a company; colleagues, managers and the top management team.
• In a great team, all staff support each other, you share insights and experience, you listen to and help each other reach the shared goals. Everyone feels and is made aware that their contribution is important, both as regards knowledge and their different personalities. There is a clearly stated and shared view on both the values of the company (what is important to us) and how these values are communicated externally (how we behave towards our clients). When you know why you are doing what you are doing and for whom, it brings about a feeling of purpose, which is a prerequisite for creating dedication and commitment.
• A good manager creates trust by taking action so everything in the point above actually takes place!
Understanding that all of the ingredients above are important building blocks for creating dedication is easy. At least in theory. In reality, the tough day-to-day chasing sales figures, market shares and profit margins will still be important goals and measures for the organisation. But if only approximately one out of six employees say they feel dedicated and committed to their work, is it not time we lifted our heads from the spread sheets and asked ourselves:
Come Sunday night, how many of my colleagues look forward to coming into work the next morning? What could we as a company do to ensure we all bounce out of bed with a smile every Monday morning from now on…?
