Do you want to strengthen the commitment of your lazy direct reports and subordinates?
There are managers who complain that they don’t have a committed workforce. This is actually a very valid observation, as there really are workers who exert only half-hearted effort toward their work.
What is the cause of this? Is it an attitude problem? Is it attributable to the inherent laziness of certain workers? It can indeed be both an attitude problem and the inherent laziness of some employees. However, when employees accept an employment offer, it simply means they commit themselves to follow the discipline and culture of the organization they will be working for. If they agree to work for an organization, why are they still lazy and why are they still less committed?
We can somehow trace this indifferent attitude back to their managers. A manager who is lazy and lacking in commitment will breed the same kind of direct reports and subordinates. Therefore, the key to changing the attitude of these workers lies in the hands of the manager himself. If he wants his direct reports and subordinates to change, then he must first change and lead the way.
From being lazy and half-hearted, the manager must now become very hard-working and committed. If we apply the principle of leadership by example, it is expected that the direct reports and subordinates will also become very hard-working and committed.
Managers sometimes look very far for the solution to their direct reports and subordinates’ behavioral problems, especially laziness and lack of commitment, not knowing that they are actually part of the problem. Certainly, they would also become part of the solution, provided they change their own negative attitudes and behaviors. — Marino J. Dasmarinas