Commitment and Excellence: The Burden of Capability
A conversation between Marcus, Sophia, and Wei at a tech conference after-party.
Marcus: I've been thinking about something that happened in our last sprint. My team committed to a critical feature but kept hedging with "we'll try." I finally had to pull them aside and tell them: "There is no try." I need commitment, not attempts.
Sophia: Raises an eyebrow That sounds a bit harsh, Marcus. Software development is inherently unpredictable. Sometimes "try" is the most honest answer.
Wei: Thoughtfully I think there's more to Marcus's point. What did you mean exactly by "there is no try," Marcus?
Marcus: I don't want blind promises. What I need is for them to think deeply about the challenges before agreeing to deadlines. When a developer says "I'll try," it often masks uncertain thinking. It's a way to avoid accountability.
Sophia: But forcing people to commit when they see risks isn't fair either. That leads to unrealistic promises and burnout.
Wei: Perhaps the issue isn't with the word "try" itself, but with what it represents in this context - a lack of clarity about obstacles.
Marcus: Exactly! When my senior developer says "I'll try," I don't hear determination; I hear uncertainty without a plan. I'm not asking for guarantees of success. I'm asking them to clearly articulate what stands in their way, then commit to finding a path through those obstacles.
Sophia: Nodding slowly I see your point. The problem isn't caution, but vagueness masquerading as caution.
Wei: This reminds me of another concept worth exploring. Have you heard the metaphor of Atlas shrugging?
Marcus: From Ayn Rand? The idea that the most productive members of society carry the world on their shoulders?
Wei: Yes. In engineering teams, we often have our "Atlases" - those exceptional contributors who shoulder the heaviest burdens. When they're surrounded by mediocrity or lack of commitment, they eventually shrug - they disengage or lower their standards.
Sophia: Frowning That's a slippery concept. It can justify elitism and disregard for collaboration.
Marcus: I understand your concern, but I've seen it happen. My strongest engineers become demoralized when surrounded by people who won't commit or take ownership. They start to wonder why they should care so much when others don't.
Wei: The challenge for leaders is creating an environment where excellence is expected from everyone, not just a few.
Sophia: But we need to be careful not to confuse "excellence" with "certainty." Some of the best engineers I know are cautious about making promises precisely because they understand complexity.
Marcus: There's a difference between thoughtful caution and noncommittal hedging. When I say "there is no try," I'm not asking for overconfidence. I'm asking for clarity in thinking and dedication to problem-solving.
Wei: Perhaps we can synthesize these ideas. The best teams have a culture where: First, everyone takes responsibility rather than just "trying." Second, the strongest aren't left carrying disproportionate weight.
Sophia: And third, we recognize that commitment doesn't mean blind confidence. It means having the courage to name obstacles and the dedication to overcome them.
Marcus: Nodding When I first started saying "there is no try," my team misunderstood. They thought I wanted blind promises. But I've learned to explain that I'm asking them to shift from passive uncertainty to active problem-solving.
Wei: That's the key distinction. "I'll try" is passive. "I will find a way" or even "I need to understand these unknowns first" is active.
Sophia: I still worry about unrealistic expectations, but I can see the difference between asking people to pretend they know everything and asking them to engage deeply with challenges.
Marcus: And regarding Atlas - I don't believe in creating an elite class of engineers. But I do believe in protecting my strongest contributors from becoming demoralized. When everyone commits to excellence, no one feels like they're carrying unfair weight.
Wei: What's the practical application here? How do you implement these ideas day-to-day?
Marcus: I ask for specifics. When someone says "I'll try," I ask them to elaborate: "What obstacles are you seeing? What unknowns concern you? What's your plan to overcome them?" This shifts the conversation from vague attempts to concrete action.
Sophia: Thoughtfully And to prevent "Atlas shrugging," we need to ensure everyone contributes meaningfully. Not identical contributions - people have different strengths - but genuine commitment.
Wei: It sounds like both concepts share a common theme: excellence requires engagement. Not just hoping for good outcomes, but actively creating them.
Marcus: Yes. As a manager, I need team members who will look at challenges and say, "Here's what I know, here's what I need to find out, and here's how I'll proceed." That's commitment.
Sophia: Smiling slightly I still think "I'll try" can sometimes be honest, but I take your point that it's better to be specific about the trying.
Wei: Perhaps the wisdom is in balancing these perspectives. We need both the commitment Marcus speaks of and the thoughtful caution Sophia values. Teams thrive when everyone carries their weight - not through blind promises, but through authentic engagement with complex problems.
Marcus: Raising his glass To teams where there is no try - only committed action.
Sophia: Joining the toast And where Atlas never needs to shrug.
Wei: To excellence through engagement.