“COMMITMENT
noun; the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity
noun; a pledge or undertaking
noun; an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action
Sadly the word “commitment” has become scary because accountability has often been imposed against unrealistic expectations, and without the freedom, authority, and resources to really act and achieve. Blame lies just around the corner.
Here are some examples of misusing or abusing the notion of commitment:
• Being asked to “commit” to the delivery of a list of specific stories rather than a goal. Prescribing features in a given iteration is imposing fixed scope, fixed time, and fixed cost. The only freedom you have is along the quality axis. What happened to Scrum’s sprint goal? Being asked to commit to a goal with the freedom to figure out the necessary stories and how best to achieve it is a different thing. There’s still room for an unrealistic goal but you’ve got a lot more freedom and authority, and with Gilb techniques up your sleeve you have the means to refine the goal, remove ambiguity, and come up with options to make it realistic.
• Someone else estimating your work for you. Whether it’s the intention or not, chances are, the estimate will be received as your commitment. For me, this is not only unfair I consider it unethical but I recognise that traditional managers might consider it their duty.
a commitment is something i offer you. a mandate is something you impose on me. not the same thing. tx @MBoumansour
— Kent Beck (@KentBeck) April 2, 2014
A commitment is a pledge that you can only make willingly. That right should always be respected. If there are unrealistic expectations you have personal “authority” to call them out and renegotiate. If you’re asked to make a commitment under duress you have the right to say no. You have to learn or be brave enough to do this.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Working effectively with others requires commitments to carry currency in the form of accountability. In accepting responsibility you make yourself accountable for those commitments you willingly make. In this way any one of us can reasonably hold another accountable to the responsibilities they explicitly set for themselves. A “commitment” made unwillingly is not a commitment and therefore carries no currency.”
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