Commitment vs Compliance
Scenario A: Imagine an assistant Principal booked a coaching call to reflect about his leadership impact. A couple of minutes into the Zoom conversation, inquiry begins.
Coach asks, “What motivated you to book our call today?”
“I was told to,” Principal responded.
Coach, “Honesty. Great quality. Many people come to these calls compliant. Thanks for following through even though you didn’t feel totally committed.”
“How long are these calls again…?” Principal asks, “I’ve got other things to do today.”
Scenario B: An assistant Principal from a different district booked a coaching session for the same reason. After getting acquainted, inquiry begins.
Coach asks, “What motivated you to book our call today?”
“I wanted to know more about how I’m coming across to staff, and I want to understand the relevance of this leadership data for myself.”
Coach, “Awesome. Both of these things will become clearer by the end of our time together. We’ll both enjoy this conversation!”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Principal replies.
Commitment and compliance are both related to obligations and agreements, but they have distinct differences.
What is Commitment
Commitment refers to a sincere dedication and loyalty towards fulfilling a task, objective or responsibility. It comes from internal motivation or personal values.
The shared values of the coach and Principal in Scenario B above might be growth, learning, and leadership. Or the Principal simply might be driven internally toward opportunities to learn more about being a more effective leader.
When someone is committed they invest their time, effort and resources to it. Commitment often results in better performance because it creates a sense of ownership and a desire for success.
Scenario A is a common conversation as well. In my experience, many who come with compliance shift to commitment after our relationship develops and the relevance of the work together becomes clear, so there’s nothing inherently wrong with compliance. Compliance can still get the ball rolling.
It’s long term compliance that leads to burn out.
What is Compliance
Compliance refers to meeting a required standard or following a set of rules, regulations, or instructions. It can be driven by external factors like authority, pressure, or consequences.
When someone complies with something they may not have a personal investment or motivation behind their actions. Compliance often focuses on meeting the minimum requirements or avoiding punishment, and it may not elicit the same level of dedication or enthusiasm as commitment.
In Scenario A, the administrator is interested in the bare minimum. Let’s check this off the list because I’ve got a long list today.
In Scenario B, the leader is interested in making the most of his or her experience. I'm interested in this process and committed to myself and those I work with.
In summary, commitment is usually voluntary and leads to better results, while compliance may be driven by external factors and may not necessarily lead to the best outcomes.
Reflect: Where could compliance be turned to commitment In your work? In your family? Where might you have over-commitment where compliance could be a better fit?