A leader has to get results and get results through other people.  There is no way a leader can accomplish everything that needs to be done by themselves.  So then, part of your business leadership training or training for leadership has to be on how to get commitment from others.  The skill of getting commitment is what allows you to have people get into action when they otherwise might not be.  Let’s look at a simple technique that will allow you to get commitment from others.

On the surface you may be thinking why do I have to get commitment from people that are working for the company.   You may think we pay people to perform their jobs and our expectation is they will do that.    That thinking is just not in harmony with what happens on a daily basis in the workplace.  After all if people would perform effectively without the leader then the leader is not needed.  Think about yourself.  Do you do everything you know to do?

The leader is needed to get people to do what they want to do.  Most people want to be successful in the work they do.  There may be some aspect of the job they don’t particularly like, but for the most part people want to do a good job.  The leader is there to create an environment where people can motivate themselves and allow them to accomplish things that otherwise would not be accomplished.

Before people can reach goals though, they have to have commitment.  The reason commitment is so important is because in order to achieve most goals, there is probably going to be some obstacles that stand in the way.  The commitment is what keeps people going in the face of adversity and struggle.

One technique to obtain commitment is to understand how to ask “by when?”  Let’s face it; we live in a world of no commitment.  People say all the time….”I’ll try…We’ll see”  “Maybe.”   There is no power or commitment in those phrases.  Yet people use them all the time.  Why?  Because people simply don’t want to commit!  Using the simple technique of asking “by when?” forces people to commit and is a part of their training for leadership too.

This is an example of asking “by when?”  You need to have a report done for the budget by Friday.  You ask John to complete the report.  Here is how you use the “by when?”  After telling John you need the report by Friday, ask John “by when will you have it to me?’  By asking John “by when?” you force John to give you a commitment.  Because John actually tells you when he will have the report to you, it is Johns words not yours.  This literally forces John to complete the project based on his commitment.

Asking “by when?” is a simple but powerful technique that will allow you as a leader to produce results.  If you make it a habit to use this technique people when begin to relate to you in a whole new way.  They will see you as someone who expects results and holds people accountable.  Make using this technique a part of your training for leadership.