It was our first coaching session for the new year. While we would typically meet over Zoom, given that neither of us were run off our feet (yet), we decided to meet up in person to kick things off for 2024. 

Maclay was feeling re-energised after taking three weeks off and was very keen to walk me through his 2024 vision that I had asked him to work on in our final session last year. He had clearly put a lot of effort into his reflection and goal setting, and I could really feel a sense of authenticity and vulnerability as he read through his document. 

At one point he wanted to elaborate on a specific goal. He looked up at me from his notes and said, “I’m really going to focus on employee engagement, since I need everyone committed, particularly over the next six months”. 

I apologised for interrupting his flow, but I felt the need to clarify that while the terms ‘engagement’ and ‘commitment’ are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. 

People engage with their work, whereas they commit to their team, their leader, or their employer. 

People are truly engaged in their work when they intellectually understand the task at hand; they are emotionally connected to, interested in, and see value in the task; and they put effort into the task. On the other hand, commitment is based more on the attachment that forms between an employee and their team members as well as their leader along with the strength of an employee’s identification and involvement with an organisation. 

I then asked Maclay if he felt his team members worked for him because they want to; because they feel they ought to; or because they need to. After all, the secret to building a resilient and committed team lies in understanding what makes each member tick. It’s certainly not a one-size-fits all situation. Rather, it’s about recognising the unique commitment profiles with your team. 

Employee commitment isn’t a straightforward concept. It’s a puzzle with different pieces that, when put together, forms a picture of loyalty and followership. 

I told Maclay to imagine the commitment puzzle as having three main pieces: affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment with each piece contributing differently to the overall commitment picture. I reinforced that understanding this dynamic would empower him to continue to build and sustain a highly committed team which was my interpretation of his overarching goal for 2024. 

Affective Commitment: I work here because I want to 

Think of active commitment as the emotional connection team members have with their work and the organisation. Imagine team members who genuinely love what they do and feel a deep sense of belonging. These are the individuals who bring passion and enthusiasm to their roles. 

As a leader, fostering affective commitment involves creating an environment where team members find purpose and meaning in their work and will more likely stay committed for the long haul. 

Normative Commitment: I work here because I ought to 

Normative commitment is all about loyalty and a sense of duty. Picture team members who feel a strong obligation to stay with the organisation because they believe in its values and have a sense of duty toward their colleagues. These individuals may not be driven by a deep sense of emotional connection, but their commitment is rooted in a shared sense of responsibility. 

Recognising and reinforcing this sense of duty can be a powerful tool for retention, as employees become more than just colleagues; they become advocates for the organisation. 

Continuance Commitment: I work here because I need to 

Continuance commitment is often influenced by the perceived costs associated with leaving the company. Employees with high continuance commitment stay not because they love their job or feel a strong sense of duty, but often because of perceived costs, such as losing their benefits or facing challenges in finding a new job. 

I then introduced Maclay to the concept of commitment profiles. 

Commitment profiles refer to the combination of an employee’s levels of affective, normative, and continuance commitment, providing a more nuanced understanding of their relationship with their job, the workplace, and with you as their leader. 

For example, employees with a high affective commitment profile, but who demonstrate low normative and continuance commitment genuinely enjoy their work, feel emotionally connected to the organisation, but may not feel a strong sense of obligation or perceive significant costs associated with leaving. These employees are likely to be highly motivated and therefore retention strategies should focus on the positive aspects of their job and organisational experience. 

On the other hand, employees with a high normative commitment profile, but who demonstrate lower affective and continuance commitment may not be emotionally attached to their job at all but may still feel a strong sense of duty or obligation to stay with the organisation. In this situation, as a leader your role is to reinforce a sense of shared values and to provide opportunities for employees to connect with the organisation on a deeper level. 

I was happy to see that Maclay was quickly grasping the concept of commitment profiles, as he was the one to explain that if an employee has a high continuance commitment profile but a lower affective and normative commitment profile, then they may be neither emotionally attached to the company nor feel any sense of duty. In this case he should be channelling his efforts into improving job satisfaction. 

Naturally you may have some team members with a more balanced commitment profile exhibiting moderate levels of affective, normative and continuance commitment. 

Building a committed (not just an engaged) team isn’t simply a nice-to-have. It’s a strategic imperative. 

Leaders play a crucial role in understanding and nurturing the commitment profiles of their team members and recognising that each team member has a unique commitment profile allows leaders to adopt personalised leadership approaches. 

For team members with high affective commitment, focus on providing opportunities for creativity and passion in their work. For those demonstrating normative commitment, emphasise shared values and the impact of their contributions on the broader team. For individuals with high continuance commitment, ensure that benefits and career paths are transparent and aligned with their expectations. 

Remember, Hellomonday provides coaching and support to every leader, prioritising development initiatives that result in long-term sustained learning and change, reinforcing habits through curated learning and impactful coaching, and ideally helping leaders build a team where individuals are not just clocking in and out, but are deeply connected to their work, loyal to the organisation, and committed for the right reasons.