”Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes... but no plans.” This is a famous quote from --Peter F. Drucker
Good morning everyone! I am Dr. Corazon dela Torre, your Chief Laboratory Officer. Allow me to share with you this morning some beautiful thoughts about commitment……and in this case…..about ……commitment in the workplace.
First and foremost, what is commitment? Commitment is openness to learning and a strong drive to do the best you can.
For instance, if you have a dream, you will need to be committed to doing the many things it may take to reach that dream. There are often bumps along the way, but if you are committed, you will stay in the course. If you are committed, you will figure out how to conquer certain challenges; you do not quit when the going gets rough; you are able to see the big picture and you are patient in getting there.
We are all employees of Davao Doctors College. So, when does an employee like you and me have commitment in work? Commitment in our organization?
My dear colleagues, we have commitment in work when we are aligned with the organization’s goals and values; when we understand the goals and values of the organization we are working with. This means that as an employee you and I “walk the talk” of these values and that we are proud to be identified with the organization.
Meyer and Allen state that commitment in the workplace or we may also call it organizational commitment is "a psychological state that characterizes the employee's relationships with the organization, and has implications for the decision to continue membership in the organization.” This commitment also refers to an employee's attachment, goal congruency, identification, loyalty and allegiance to their organization.
Fostering organizational commitment among the academic faculty and staff is important because employees that are highly committed stay longer, perform better, miss less work, and engage in organizational citizenship behaviors.
On the other hand, teachers and staff who are not committed to their workplace are likely to put less effort in the classroom, less effort in performing their tasks and functions as compared to those with high levels of commitment.
It’s true that the path to success as an organization is not a straight line. But if we couple commitment with hard work, success will not be elusive. It can be achieved.
It is therefore through a combination of commitment and hard work that we can realize success as an organization. And success is often just a simple as a job well done. So let’s commit to use our talents to the best of our ability. Let’s commit to work hard on the challenges in front of us. Let’s take the risk. Let’s get out of our comfort zones, let’s reach out and find ways in helping others.
Finally, employee commitment is NOT a “happiness indicator” determining how satisfied we are with our work environment. Instead, employee commitment DOES measure whether we, employees share the values necessary for success in our organization and whether that is reflected in our actions.
To end, here’s a quote to remember from James Womack: “Commitment unlocks the doors of imagination, allows vision, and gives us the "right stuff" to turn our dreams into reality.”
Are we committed employees of Davao Doctors College?
Thank you and good morning everyone!
DR. CORAZON T. DELA TORRE
Chief Laboratory Officer
Davao Doctors College
Dec. 12, 2011 Flag Ceremony
