Hi Friend
For the last 11 years I have gotten to be part of the creative team for HoganTaylor’s annual Firm Meeting. I also act as host/MC on the day itself. It’s always creative. It’s always fun. In years gone by, I used to take Lincoln on video shoots. He would edit the hilarious videos each location would create.
This past week we were in a new venue with an entirely different model. Our theme was Alice in Wonderland. Unlike any year prior, we rotated groups to experience five different rooms – led by HoganTaylor staff (except the meditation room which was led by the amazing David McLaughlin). The involvement of multiple people was a game-changer.
One year our theme was Napoleon Dynamite. We shot a bike riding video that was unbelievably funny. When we started off the meeting with it no one laughed. To this day it’s still a point of reference we use about humor in the morning. However, this time we did a live skit and celebrated someone in the crowd. The place erupted. We had good juju right from the start!
Have you ever been at a staff event and it just seems to drag on? Like whole sessions were just filler to get through the day? We created five rooms led by HoganTaylor staff that could hold 70 people a piece. Every 30 minutes we had each group switch. Something about that, plus the uniqueness of each room, kept people engaged. We attributed that as one of the main factors the day felt so good.
I’ve had 36 hours to reflect on it and have concluded the primary reason the day felt so great was…
INVOLVEMENT FROM PEERS ELEVATES ENGAGEMENT FOR EVERYONE!
It’s not that the room leaders enlisted help from their colleagues. On the contrary, it was a bit of a surprise. No one knew what was happening and the room leaders were dressed in costumes, which made them feel slightly uncomfortable. This created a sense of expectancy.
When employees saw their peers dressed in full Wonderland Character attire, their anticipation and enthusiasm increased! There is something in our human nature that occurs when we see someone we know be fully committed to something we’re not.
Commitment Sparks
Curiosity
Openness
Willingness
Joy
Have you ever been strongly committed to an endeavor that inspired others to consider a similar path? Have you seen someone committed to a cause that challenged you? Have you encountered someone in a committed relationship that activated hope in you? Have you seen someone stick to a commitment when it was ridiculously hard and inconvenient?
Commitment is Contagious!
The word “commitment” generally has a weightiness to it. It feels like a big ominous deal. We tread carefully before making one. However, making and keeping commitments creates most of the greatest outcomes in our lives. All of the best results you see personally and professionally are from commitment. Even before we see the benefits from it in someone’s life, experiencing their consistency is enough to make us want to be like them.
Therein lies the rub. The desire to make genuine commitments brings along responsibilities, which require focused priorities. Friend, you and I have made commitments we didn’t follow through on and then felt gross about it. Disappointing ourselves is the worst!
Instigating Ideas…
1. Encourage someone today who is keeping a commitment.
2. Evaluate where you’re at with the commitments you’ve made.
3. Publicly commit to something.
4. Enlist a friend to help you follow through.
Commitments don’t have to be long. The individuals who served as room leaders had to go all in for one day. That 8-hour obligation unleashed so much goodness and participation in hundreds of others. What if your steadfastness unlocked the potential in others?
Commitment Creates Freedom!
As you might imagine, a few of our room leaders – who are all accountants – weren’t initially jazzed about putting on costumes. Once they did, however, it gave them a liberty they didn’t know they’d have. When we consider commitments restrictive or limiting, our perception is inaccurate. Truly independence emerges, afforded only to those who are walking out commitment.
I would love to hear how you’ve been inspired by someone else’s commitment. Also, in what areas of life have you made commitments that brought out the best in you? Please Share!