Skill Builder: Archived Page

July 24, 2010

Competing Commitments

As we function in groups, very often we do things that seem to undermine our selected purpose. For instance, our team may select a goal of having honest conversation about what is not working in each of our individual classrooms. Then when we meet, no one will talk. What is happening? Though we all agreed on the same goal, when it comes right down to it, one team member may be afraid to admit that she doesn't know a piece of content. Another may be worried that if he admits to a lack of classroom control, he may not be tenured this year. A third feels embarrassed, because she doesn't have additional strategies to help her struggling students be successful.

All of these are examples of competing commitments¹, wanting to move forward, and yet fearful that if we do, something hurtful or harmful may happen. We want to have open conversation, and at the same time—and rightfully so—we don't want to jeopardize our position or be embarrassed in front of a group. So what happens as a group is that we move one step forward toward our goal and two steps back away from it.

True dialogue is the key to examining our own fears as a team and the assumptions that underlie them. Those assumptions may or may not be true, but how can we know if we are not willing to take a look at them?

Reflection

What hidden fears are causing the teams of which you are a part to take one step forward and two steps back?
What hidden fears are causing you to take one step forward and two steps back?
What assumptions underlie these fears?

¹ Kegan, Robert, & Lahey, Lisa (2009). Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock Potential in Yourself and Your Organization. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.

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