Commitment - or lack of...

I tell you the most "bodoh" thing about Malaysian managers, regardless of industry, that starts in
school is this oft-misunderstood concept of "commitment". Long and short, it really really rails me when people, especially your boss or team leader, throws it around like some sort of business mantra.

Yesterday I was sitting down with [name censored to protect the innocent] and just chatting about his / her [gender censored to protect the innocent] recent review with his / her boss. He / She scored top marks in all categories - he / she was efficient, quick to complete tasks assigned, consistent in delivering quality work and overall a great worker.

So, just as he / she was about to chalk it up as a great appraisal, the boss suddenly stops to say: "There's just one thing we're concerned about..."

"uh-huh?"

"Well, you've not been staying back much since we hired you. You know, like putting in the extra hours. Not much commitment from you... If you want to get promoted to [position censored to protect the innocent] we would like to see you stay back more often."

Now, this is when he / she has been staying back whenever required. Coming in to work on public holidays. Working on two Saturdays a month. The list goes on.

"Why do you say I lack commitment?"

"Well, colleague A stays back later than you and ..."

And comparisons are a good benchmark of a person's quality and commitment? I don't get it. So in this frame of understanding, people who stay back late and come in every weekend are the best workers in the office? Couldn't they just be slow, or worse, sucker-uppers who've bought in to the whole culture of first in-last out "meritocracy"?

I think on the overall managers need to understand the concept of a good worker better. Or even the concept of work. You hire a person to do a specific job laid down in the contract. That person does that job - it is a job well done. You don't expect more and you certainly don't penalise people for not doing more than what's written on their job scope.

If people have done more, thank them for it, don't compare with someone else perceived as doing even more and tell them they aren't doing enough.

And what's this about "commitment"? Commitment is about doing for your company what you said you'd do for it in your contract. Commitment is being responsible enough to deliver on what you're being paid for on time, in good quality. Commitment is finding efficient ways to do things so it's delivered faster.

Commitment IS NOT staying back late or coming in on weekends unnecessarily just to "show" the boss you're "committed."

Please people, if you're a boss, get a hold on what commitment is.

PS. let me clarify I'm not snarking my office - I love Text 100 just the way it is. FYI, I go home generally when I have done my work for the day, and by PR standards, is Pretty Early. (Oh, say, 7 - 7:30 pm?) :)