Lately, my blogs have addressed coping strategies for navigating turbulent times. We usually can’t change what’s happening around us, but we can and should control our own responses and actions. One sure-fire way to fight uncertainty is to provide stability in our lives and the lives of others by honoring our commitments, even when it would be easier to walk away, or fail to show up.   

Commitment is about Character and Core Values
Synonyms for commitment are dedication, loyalty, devotion, fidelity, and faithfulness. Those are powerful words! And they’re strong core values. Covenants, contracts, and charters are all instruments that bind parties by law or policy. But commitments are bound only by one’s character and personal core values.   

Most personal commitments like a relationship or a community project, and professional commitments like mentoring or performing a necessary task involve others. Therefore, it’s important to think through potential commitments carefully and to make good, informed choices. It’s one thing to make a commitment and quite another thing to keep it. Anyone can make a commitment, but it takes a person and leader of character to honor that commitment.   

Creating Stress
Breaking a commitment can cause just the sort of turbulence and stress people seek to avoid. Here’s a personal example to show how failing to honor even a small commitment can have a negative impact and erode trust. During my time as a graduate student at the Kellogg Business School, many assignments were designed as team efforts to condition students to collaborate and learn to work together.   

The full time Master of Business Administration program was demanding, and time was precious. Team members had to juggle busy schedules and commit to meet up to complete assignments. I was part of a group of four with a member who either showed up late, after the work was done, or never showed up at all. There was no apology. The rest of the group wasted time waiting for the student to show up, then spent more time completing his part of the assignment. It was frustrating. The student who failed to honor the commitment got the same grade as the rest of us…but he lost the trust and respect of his peers. That experience reinforced in me the importance of honoring commitments, and made me realize that sometimes, honoring commitments takes humility.   

The Controversy
It’s not always easy to honor commitments. Circumstances can change suddenly, as many have recently experienced with changes put in place by the new Administration. During turbulent times, individuals under stress may be tempted to break, or fail to honor, commitments. There are certainly times when commitments may need to be reconsidered. In those instances, the same thoughtful consideration that came with making the commitment should accompany the consideration that goes into whether to forgo the commitment.   

To mitigate adverse consequences, it’s important to notify others in as timely a manner as possible and clearly communicate if a commitment cannot be honored. That will preserve trust and allow others to adapt.  

Look in the mirror: Under what circumstances would it be okay to break or fail to honor a commitment?