Quality 3

Quality 3 – Committed

My favorite quote, “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” George Halas

Dr. Jonas Salk completed medical school in 1939. Eight years later he was at the University of Pittsburgh, taking on polio, the scourge of that era. In 1952 he was ready to test his new polio vaccine, so he inoculated himself and his entire family. His commitment was for real and changed history, eliminating one of the most devastating illnesses of his time. Without his total commitment, who’s to say when, or if, the vaccine for polio would have been available for use?

What do teams have to understand about commitment?
1. Adversity fosters commitment.
2. Gifts and abilities are not determinants of commitment.
3. Commitment is a choice. It does not depend on conditions.
4. When commitment is based on values, it endures.

Becoming more committed
1. Connect your commitments to your values – Identify your commitment and determine your core values.
2. Risk – Being committed involves risk. You may fail, or the team may fail, but there is honor in giving your best, even if things don’t work out like you planned.
3. Evaluate the team’s commitment – “You cannot make a commitment to uncommitted people.”

Please share any observations you may have about the book. My hope is to initiate conversation about improving our team by improving ourselves as team members.

Next week, Quality 4 - Communicative