CAN COMMITMENT BE CONDITIONAL?
LESSONS LEARNED ALONG THE TRAJECTORY TOWARDS SUCCESS
written by Dr. John Franklin, Leadership Coach & Cultural Strategist for ||:Leaders Creating:||
Anyone who has ever been interested in the concept of success has been presented with a graphic that looks something like this…
One of the first articles I wrote for this blog was The Trajectory Towards Success, in which I present the idea that the path towards success is a navigation of process over time. I also contend that there are points along that path, often aligned with transitions in The Four Stages of Learning, that serve as hurdles, speed bumps, or barriers that cause us to either conquer and grow or concede and give up. One of the central themes along this line of discussion was the concept of grit as established by researcher Dr. Angela Duckworth in her New York Times best-selling book Grit: the Power of Passion and Perseverance. An essential thesis to her work is the idea that discipline and commitment are more important than talent or potential in attaining success. I highly recommend taking some time to read and digest Dr. Duckworth’s book if you are more than casually interested in what determines success for yourself, your students, and your program. I also recommend Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Dr. Carol S. Dweck and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink as companion pieces to Dr. Duckworth’s book.
It seems to me that the idea of true, unconditional commitment is a lost ideal in much of modern society. When I have encountered dysfunctional or unhealthy cultures within band programs, educational institutions, businesses, organizations, and in relationships, it does not take long to ascertain that underlying commitment issues are a significant part of the problem. These commitment issues often manifest themselves as one or more of the following:
Absence of Commitment
Conditional Commitment
Competing Commitment
Over Commitment
Partial Commitment
Rushed Commitment
Let’s take a look at each of these, shall we?
ABSENCE OF COMMITMENT
The lack of any commitment at all is usually pretty easy to determine when it exists as part of a band’s culture. However, it is also the rarest commitment issue found within programs. The absence of any type of commitment is usually confined to those students who are participants in band against their will. Most of these students are in band in order to fulfill an obligation put upon them by someone in authority, usually a parent. Or, sometimes as a prerequisite put upon them by their band director in order to participate in an experience that they truly are interested in.
The truth is that few band members possess a complete lack of commitment, especially since participation is more or less voluntary. Yet, I often hear band directors cite this is a significant issue in their struggle to develop stronger student commitment. I too have been guilty of making such claims in stereotypical “Kids these days!” fashion. I better understand now, after some years of riding and getting bucked by that high horse, that most commitment issues are better defined as one of the following conditional commitments.
CONDITIONAL COMMITMENT
Conditional Commitment can be defined as assurance of an action that becomes actual commitment only when one or more specified conditions are met. In other words, it means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do only when certain rewards, feelings, or conditions are met.
When I discuss this concept with students and leaders, I often use the example of church camp growing up. Church camp was a week-long experience in late summer when my youth group and I would take a bumpy school bus ride to some rural, semi-primitive campground. It was a time to get away from the usual worldly temptations and distractions in order to be challenged to deeper spirituality and commitment to biblical teachings as interpreted by the camp leaders and pastors. The timing of these camps just before the start of the new school year was intentionally scheduled to inspire campers to make decisions about living righteous lives amongst our peers when classes began.
Church camp provided fellowship, opportunities to exercise mind, body, and spirit, and a series of classes and services all designed to challenge campers to make positive changes in our lives. By the end of church camp week, almost all of us had experienced powerful emotional responses, which led to making commitments to be more committed to holier lifestyles once we returned to the “real world”. Most of us, however, just as inevitably began to slip back into old ways of doing once we returned to normal lives and its various distractions and temptations. In other words, our commitment disappeared once the positive emotional and physical environment in which we made our commitments was no longer there to motivate us. Our commitment also disappeared when the positive environment was altogether replaced by a different environment, usually either negative or apathetic.
The fact is that true, unconditional commitment is hard. This is why so few ever make it over the switchback trail to the mountain top of success. As Dr. Duckworth discovered, grit born out of enough passion to persevere is truly the only way to be intrinsically motivated to stay resolute to the commitments we make. The band world is no different. The following is a list of ways I have witnessed commitment becoming conditional in band students:
Competing Commitment
Competing commitment is the scenario in which a person is torn between two commitments, both of which they feel passionately about. This usually manifests itself when at least some of the requirements of one commitment interfere with those of the other. A perfect example of this is the student who is involved in band as well as another extra or co-curricular experience with conflicting schedule or other requirements. For that student, the decision on which commitment to honor boils down to whichever wins the risk/reward factor or results in the least painful consequences.
Over Commitment
The scenario above may also be a result of over commitment, which is a byproduct of a culture that more and more emphasizes a need to be “well rounded” over expertise in a smaller number of areas. In the band setting, we often see this conundrum in some of the more academically, artistically, and/or athletically gifted students who are sought after by different coaches, club sponsors, or teachers, especially in schools with smaller student populations. We also experience this with students whose personal circumstances require they have to make commitments in response to more basic Maslovian needs (see Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). For example, the student who needs to work more after-school hours in order to help financially support her family. Often times, these students WANT to be more committed but have found themselves in situations either of their own making or beyond their control that make it difficult to do so.
Partial Commitment
I define students who are partially committed to band as those who are committed mostly to those parts that are appealing to them. These students are almost exclusively motivated by the extrinsic rewards such as trips, swag, prestige, or the social relationships associated with band as an activity. If the carrot is appealing enough, they will sometimes show limited commitment to other areas that are not intrinsically important to them. But these are students whose commitment perhaps is the most conditional upon how it benefits them personally. In my years of experience, I have found that this is the most pervasive form of commitment dysfunction in band culture. Frankly, it is my belief that by relying so heavily on extrinsic rewards since the inception of bands in education, we run the risk of losing many students once those rewards are gone or greatly diminished.
Rushed Commitment
Working with young people, I have likely seen the scenario I like to call rushed commitment occur more often than not. This is defined as a commitment made based on incomplete information, assumptions, or inexperience. When this happens, there is an inevitable moment when the member realizes this isn’t what they thought they were signing up for. They are then in a situation where they have to decide if they are going to honor the commitment or break faith and leave. I have always had great respect and admiration for any student or person who stays true to their word and waits until they have honored their commitment before deciding to take a different path.
Simply put, true commitment is staying loyal to what we say we are going to do, regardless of the forces working against us, long after the affirming circumstances we said it in have passed. In the words of William Shakespeare, it alters not when it alteration finds. It is unconditional. It is unwavering. It is uncommon.
The seeds of unconditional commitment in a band or any organization are planted as universally held convictions, an unwavering belief in creed, cause, and actions. It is shaped by both a strongly established system and the people in the organization. It is nurtured by mutual agreement between all members of the organization in respect to vision, beliefs, mission, goals, roles, responsibilities, interactions, actions, and accountability. When fully matured, unconditional commitment looks the same regardless of the circumstances in which an individual or band program finds themselves.
First, we must recognize how uncommon it is to find unconditional commitment in the modern era. A good example of this reality is the number of band students across the country who opted out of participating in pandemic-influenced modified band during the 2020–2021 academic year for one reason or another. For these students, the commitment was conditional upon band living up to their expectations. This is not a value judgment, per se, but just an acknowledgment of reality.
It is difficult to quantify the appropriate amount of commitment to expect from students. Naturally, the level of commitment is usually proportionate to the satisfaction and enjoyment that students receive for participating in the program. Beyond that, the commitment has to be first established by establishing a set of standards and beliefs that everyone in the band agrees to on at least a fundamental level. This conversation can start from one of two directions: 1) establishing values & beliefs and/or 2) setting expected outcomes & goals. Once these items are set, actions and behaviors that reflect values and move the band towards goals can be articulated and agreed upon. I intend to explore this approach in greater detail in a future article regarding visionary leadership. In the meantime, here are a few ways to begin to improve the basic level commitment within your band program:
Determine your WHY
As my colleague Gary Rupert writes in his article What Is Your Why? (And Why Does It Matter?), this fundamental question is the keystone to everything. It is impossible to be committed to anything if you do not know the reason why you should be. This starts by clearly understanding your purpose, your WHY.
Determine what values you can agree on
Chances are that at least 20% of your band members are more or less fully aligned with the values that you have determined are important (see my previous article BEACONS, BOUNCERS, & BARRIERS). Another 60% will likely get on board with strong leadership from that initial 20%. That leaves a final 20% who will need to be the focus of determining at least a basic level of values upon which all 100% can agree on. This certainly may be a difficult and messy conversation, especially if there are diametrically opposite viewpoints. But, it is an important conversation to have. The goal being for everyone in the organization to at least agree to be able to live with a minimal set of values. It is also OK for someone who cannot reach a minimal level of agreement to leave the organization. Several areas in which I suggest discussion towards agreement include the following:
Program Vision
Mission Statement
Program Goals
Member Roles & Responsibilities
How to Interact with Members, Staff, & Leadership
Methods of Keeping Everyone Accountable to Program Standards
Be crystal clear regarding behavioral expectations
Once minimal agreement regarding values have been established, the next step is to determine and articulate how those values should be carried out in day to day actions. This includes everything from group behavior down to the individual. From actions during official band activities as well as between events. By basing actions on values, the shift moves away from following a list of rules and regulations to establishing a group dynamic that polices its behaviors against the values to which everyone has agreed.
Begin moving towards intrinsic rewards that are unique to the band experience
In my article Why is your “Why” YOUR “Why”?: Acknowledging the Status Quo in Your Band Program and How it Might Change Post-pandemic, I briefly alluded to my belief that band programs built upon excellence and making music will strengthen and grow while others who rely on other band activities struggle when those activities are lesser or even gone altogether. Dear reader, I encourage you to take time to determine what motivates your students to participate in band. If you find that the primary reason is trips, trophies, or other extraneous things, then know that most of your students will be committed only in as much as those items are obtainable. My colleagues in ||:Leaders Creating:|| and I will have more to say about this topic in future articles. In the meantime, start thinking about what makes band a valuable experience for you and your students in and of itself. Once you have these things in mind, begin working towards experiences that will allow your students to develop a stronger affinity towards those items than they do for the extrinsic rewards. This needs to be a process of evolution, not revolution so be careful about moving too quickly to remove the extrinsic rewards. Instead, start creating new and more frequent opportunities to experience intrinsic rewards. Even better if you can align these as part of the extrinsic reward experiences.
Remove as many obstacles as possible
This is not always an easy task to achieve as it involves compromise and, in some cases, accepting some things outside your control. However, there may be ways to help students who are over committed or in competing commitments be more committed to band by adjusting schedules or even expectations. However, it is important to consider how these adjustments relate to the agreed-upon values, goals, and expectations.
Create a plan for cultural growth and improvement
Chances are that student commitment level is proportional to the overall atmosphere and culture of the band experience. In fact, the importance of this particular item is what inspired the genesis of ||: Leaders Creating :|| as well as this blog. My colleagues and I have just scratched the surface in writing about culture and will continue to provide insight and help in future posts. I encourage you, dear reader, to take some time to visit our full list of articles (found HERE) and bookmark our page so that you can easily find it for our weekly posts. We are also available to work one-on-one with you and encourage you to contact us HERE to set up a time to meet and discuss your needs.
As I discuss in BEACONS, BOUNCERS, & BARRIERS, those in leadership, especially student leaders, have the greatest influence on the level of commitment shown by the rest of the band. The bar is set by both the example of the leaders (beacons) as well as what is tolerated by those who are working against them (barriers). The following is a list of specific commitments that leaders must make in order to have a culture of strong, even unconditional commitment within your band program:
5 COMMITMENTS OF LEADERSHIP
To SELF
First and foremost, leaders must be committed to be the epitome of what a committed member thinks, feels, and does. A great self-reflection to determine where your commitment level currently lies is to ask, “What would our band look like if every band member went about their band business the way I do?”
To PEOPLE
Perhaps this goes without saying, but is always important to remember that as leaders, we are responsible to those we lead and with whom we serve. To determine where your commitment level is towards others, ask yourself, “What is my attitude and response when I have to sacrifice my own desires or comfort for the betterment of those around me?”
To the BAND
As a leader, you may be asked to be more committed to band than other members might. As such, you may have to make more sacrifices in order to be an effective leader. Sometimes, you may have to step down from a leadership role if you are unable to make band high enough of a priority to be an effective leader. A question to consider in this regard is, “What situations in band will be a challenge for me to give my best effort and participation?”
To LEADERSHIP
As discussed earlier, it is important for everyone in the band to agree upon a basic set of values, goals, and behaviors. It is equally important for everyone to agree to a basic system of accountability for when any member’s actions, words, or attitudes do not align with the established principles. As a leader, you have to live these out at the highest, not the average, and certainly not at the lowest bar. This is T-O-U-G-H as it requires so much more from you than the average member. To determine your grittiness in this challenge, ask yourself the following questions: “As a leader, what am I expected to give that is more than the average band member?” and “What are the things that most often cause me to give up?”
To TRUTH
The topic of unconditional commitment is uncomfortable for many people. It is a standard of perfection that can bring negative feelings of either frustration or disillusionment to those who are confronted with their own personal level of commitment. It is OK to feel these things just as it is OK to decide what your level of commitment should be and whether or not you are prepared to meet it. The important thing to remember here is that you need to be blatantly honest with yourself about what you are willing and able to commit to, both as a person and as a band. Set a high bar but make it attainable. Once you reach that bar, consider how you can set the bar even higher. Therein lies your trajectory towards success.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Dear reader, are you feeling challenged after considering this message? Are you feeling defiant or dismissive? I am curious to hear your thoughts by commenting below or emailing me at johnf@leaderscreating.com.
I am also very interested in learning about your challenges and how I might be able to help you and your band program become more committed to your goals and values. In the meantime, I leave you with one of my favorite excerpts from Jon Gordon’s The Power of Positive Leadership that eloquently depicts what true commitment really is:
EDITOR’S NOTE: We at ||:Leaders Creating:|| value the opportunity to engage with our readers, clients, colleagues, and friends. Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section!
John is an educator in music and leadership who also happens to be a band director, a role that he has served for 22 years in a variety of settings including middle school, high school, small college, large state university, and both private and public institutions. His diverse experiences in developing and growing band programs have provided opportunities for John to learn from his students how to help them become effective peer leaders in order to create positive, intentional, and goal-driven band cultures. John’s work as a leadership clinician ranges from self-development and improvement, effective communication and pedagogical skills, and the application of servant leadership in the music ensemble setting. His materials are adaptable for a variety of settings including large and small groups, one-on-one coaching, virtual and in-person clinics, and for both students and educators of all levels.
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