After eleven years of not being in touch, I recently reconnected with my old friend Julie Boyce. From the late 1980’s to early 90’s, Julie and I worked together at Desert Sun Real Estate Corporation; a former Chase Manhattan Bank subsidiary set up to workout, manage and liquidate the troubled real estate assets of the local Chase operation.

Julie is now a Director of Finance at American Express where she leads a team of finance managers. I asked her what she has learned about motivating people, so she shared a concept that she uses with her team that I’ll call Commitment vs. Compliance.

When someone makes a commitment to something, it’s largely because they see what’s in it for them, which serves as the motivator. They see a payoff or a reward, such as a sense of accomplishment, recognition or financial gain. As a result, commitment produces the best outcome.

By contrast, when people merely comply, it involves reluctance and avoidance of pain or other consequences. They don’t want something bad to happen like a speeding ticket, a demotion or worse. These are motivators as well, but not positive ones. Therefore, when all is said and done, compliance doesn’t produce the best result.

As a successful leader, Julie motivates her team by gaining commitment, rather than compliance. She does this by understanding what it takes for each manager to make a commitment. As a result, she and her team produce better outcomes than what compliance would bring.

When attempting to motivate your employees or others that you rely upon to reach your goals, get them to commit, not just comply.