In addition to commitment regarding interpersonal relationships, you should teach your students to develop project commitments. Project commitments are commitments that are made in relationship to an activity that needs to be completed. They’re related to achieving a desired goal, like acing a test or raising one’s grades.

project commitment

Here are some tips to teach your students to help them develop the skill of project commitment:

  1. Follow through
  2. Accept responsibility
  3. Talk to others who have succeeded
  4. Manage progress
  5. Be Persistent  

Follow through

It is easy to start something, but to stick with it until completion is often much harder. Teach your students that when you make a commitment to do something, it means that you will do whatever it takes to complete the task. Your word is your bond. If you say you will do something but fail to do it, your word or promise does not mean much.

accept responsibility

Accept responsibility

Before your students make a commitment, they must fully understand who is responsible for achieving the goal. If it is an individual responsibility, they must accept it and follow through. If it is a team commitment, they should take responsibility for their part and pass the rest on to those who are responsible. To help their success, they should not commit to everything or try to tackle a whole group project on their own.

talk to others

Talk to others who have succeeded

Encourage your students to talk to others who have succeeded. It is always wise to talk to others who have gone down the road before them. That way they can learn from experiences and avoid some of the pitfalls that other people have experienced.

Manage your progress

To be successful, you will need to teach your students the 3 R’s:

  1. Review your goals. Ask yourself: Are my goals still meaningful? Am I still passionate about my goal? Think about your goals and what they will require of you.
  2. Revise your goals as needed. After you decide whether or not your goals are meaningful and relevant, you may need to revise them. You may also need to revise your goals if you have run out of time or resources needed to accomplish the goal.
  3. Redefine them in terms that have more meaning. This will help you to not lose interest in your desires or goals. Remember that meaningful commitment will ensure strong motivation toward your goals.

be persistent

Be persistent

President Calvin Coolidge once said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” Good things do not usually happen overnight. Teach your students to stick with their plans no matter what. Teach them that persistence beats resistance every time.

Thanks for tuning into our post about teaching interpersonal commitment to your students. If you want to learn more about developing or teaching soft skills, sign up for a free soft skills webinar here.