Promises

Few actions you will take as a leader will set you apart faster than the word “Promises.”

You will take the fast ride to the top of the leadership elite when you deliver – on a consistent basis – on your promises.  Whether that be to your customers, your team or any other stakeholder in the business.  Conversely, you will spiral into the depths of mediocrity the moment your brand is associated with that of being someone that does not keep their promises.  You choose.

Making promises is easy.  Your day is filled with problems and challenges.  People are seemingly endlessly lined up outside your door or cubicle with issues.  The phone keeps ringing.  Your boss is sending you non-stop things to do.  Emails are piling up!  It is so easy to tell someone that you will take care of it.  The moment you say that you will get it done, the pressure seems to go away as the person you just made the promise to backs off – convinced you will do something about it.  Then another.  And another.  Next thing you know, you are waste deep in commitments that you cannot possibly keep!  Argh!

Commitments soon go uncompleted.  Surprisingly though, it seems no one noticed. Then another.  And another.  Next, you slide into lazy habits of over promising and under delivering.  Here’s the issue…  Someone always notices.  Unfortunately, only about 2% actually follow up with you on your commitments.  But believe me, the other 98% are left with a brand image of you that is one of untrustworthy, uncommitted, never delivers, mediocre.  If that person is a customer, they will just take their business elsewhere.  If the person is your boss, you will get a surprise at your performance review or worse, fired.  And you will never see it coming.  Leadership advice: If you can’t keep a promise, stop making them!!!

Want to be a leader who is respected?  Change your habits and start delivering!!!

You can though become revered as a leader that gets things done by developing and keeping the habit of someone that gets things done.  How?  Here are some easy steps that you can take to strengthen your “Get it done and keep your promises muscle”…

1. Plan.  Get a note book (You will never see me without my little black note book).  At the beginning of each month, write down the 3 to 5 things you want to accomplish that month.  At the beginning of each week, plan time in your week to work on your monthly list.  Plan time in your week too for exercise and time to work on “Projects.”  Projects are those issues that pop up that require you to commit to taking action.
2. Get an agreement.  When you make a commitment to getting something done, be clear with whoever you made the commitment to about the timing of your delivery and what good looks like when you are done.  Write it down.  Plan time to get it done.  Then stick to the plan.  Believe it or not, this simple method of writing down what you have to do and what you would like to do is one of the most effective tools their is.
3. Learn to say “No.”  Young leaders are the worst offenders at this.  They tend to say “Yes” to everything – thinking that if they say otherwise, they won’t be thought of highly.  Wrong!  Know what you are good at.  Know what you want to be better at.  Everything else is a shiny object and say “No” to it or, simply explain that you would gladly take that project on however, it will be delivered six weeks from now when you can work it in.
4. Communications.  Sometimes, your priorities will be set by some other force (Your spouse, your boss your customers).  That happens.  Be clear though about what other priorities will not get done as promised.  Communicating when a commitment is going to be late.  Be clear as well about when the new delivering date will be.  Communicating that you may miss a promised delivery is WAY better than not letting people know.  You may take some heat for it however, that will be far better than the lingering effects of damaging your brand by not delivering and not communicating.

Too hard?  Then go back to being mediocre!  Or…  You can be one of those rare people on our planet that keeps their word and their commitments.  Your brand will rise to the top and you will be rewarded for it.

Robert Murray is a Business Strategy Consultant, partner at Incrementa Consulting Inc., #1 Best Selling Author, and International Keynote Speaker. For further advice, insight and inspiration on how to unlock your inner leader, follow Robert on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.