By Jonathan Rogers

Have you ever been frustrated that the people you lead or manage just don’t seem to be as COMMITTED as you to your plans and goals? Or you thought they were, and found out too late that they weren’t? You were forging ahead only to turn around and see that no one was behind you...

As an executive coach, I hear this a lot: “Why are my people not motivated?” “Why don’t they do what I want them to do?”

Prior to becoming a full time coach, I was an executive at a large company where we discovered a simple model which turned out to be a breakthrough for us in this area, and we used it at all levels in the organization – from the C-suite to the shop floor. It was about winning their heads and their hearts. 

We called it Engagement, Alignment and Commitment – or “EAC”.

The essence of this is that people cannot be personally committed to do their part unless they are aligned behind the plan, and they cannot be aligned unless they are at first engaged. First folks need to be engaged, then aligned, and finally personally committed.

Being engaged means that they have they signed on as members of the team. They’re on board and willing to enroll in WHAT you want them to be a part of and accomplish together. That is your vision – the desired future – so that people can say, “Yes, I want to belong to this team!”

Being aligned means they are all in agreement with the HOW of the strategy or plan to get there. And being committed means that they are willing to step up, and therefore want to be held accountable for their part in making it happen. But you need to test for it.

The best way to do that is to ask them: On a scale from 1-10, how engaged are you?  If anyone is less than 8/10 go back and ask: What would it take to get you to a 10?  Listen to those concerns and address the gaps in their engagement. Once everyone is an 8 or higher, then you can move forward to the details of the plan or strategy for HOW to get there.

Once you have developed that, again use the 1-10 Question to test for alignment. This is a crucial stage.  Tell people to be brutally honest here – in some company cultures people feel they should say they are aligned when really they are not.

One other thought – Alignment is not a one-time event. Check for it regularly!

When you have everyone more than 8/10 aligned, be sure not to miss the test for commitment: What is your level of commitment to your own part in making this plan successful?

Once everyone has said they are at 8 or above, then you know you can hold them accountable and team members can hold one another accountable as well. 

Try it, it will win their heads and their hearts!

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