The Fruitfulness of Public Agreements
A consequence of being a social animal is that we care about what other members of our species think of us. Our reputation in our community is an important factor in determining our success. In order to be perceived as reliable, we must honor the agreements we make with others. For all of the above reasons, we have a strong desire to appear consistent with our word.
We can leverage this social nature in order to achieve better results. My experience is that it requires much more effort to be productive on my own than when I have made commitments to others. Here are a few examples:
It is easier to get up for a morning workout when meeting a friend than when working out alone.
It is easier to meet a deadline you make to a colleague than a deadline you make to yourself.
It is easier to read a book in preparation for a book club than it is for your own enrichment.
Along with leading to greater productivity, there is another more valuable result of public agreements. When they are kept, they strengthen social bonds. When we workout with a friend, the shared experience builds our friendship. When we meet deadlines we have set with our colleagues, our example of integrity inspires others and leads our teams to be more effective. When we discuss a book together, we learn from each other’s insights.
This week, I invite you to consider:
Where in my life am I having a hard time getting things done? How might I harness my social nature and enlist others to help me achieve the results I’d like?
Where in my life am I already achieving great results? How might I involve others in order to strengthen social bonds?
God Bless,
Dan
