Delivering On Promises: What Leaders Need to Succeed in Business
Written by Phil Geldart, Eagle’s Flight CEO
“Delivering on your promises” is arguably one of the most important principles of leadership. This installment will discuss how to always keep your word and why that is important to executives.
1. Crystal Clear
We always know exactly what we mean. We’re very clear in our mind about what we intend to do, and by when, and how we intend to do it. However, it’s another matter altogether to give others that same degree of understanding. Often other people hear our words through their own filters, through whatever is most important to them at the moment.
Consequently, they hear what we say not as we intended but rather as they would like to hear it, or as they think we should have said it. This can lead to confusion and also to people making wrong judgments. You may judge me badly because I didn’t do what you thought I was going to do. I then judge you badly for the way you responded, because I did exactly what I said I would do, not realizing it was different from what you thought I was going to do.
When making commitments to others, take a few extra minutes to get accurate clarification, to ensure you both have the same understanding. Individuals who have made commitments are accountable for those commitments, and that should mean an absolute guarantee that what has been promised will be delivered. The first step in the process of accountability is for both parties to be crystal clear on what is expected and what will be delivered.
2. Agreement
Sometimes we are able to “wring” a promise out of someone. Essentially, this is when we are so convinced that our way is correct that we impose on, cajole, or sometimes browbeat the other person into making some form of a commitment. We are so convinced that our approach is right that we want the other person to act on the basis of our convictions.
As a result, people will “promise” to deliver something but not mean it: Either they believe it’s not practical or they won’t put effort into the task because they are not as committed to it as you are (or as you want them to be). You need to be sensitive to this and careful that you do not let it occur—either by doing it to others, or by letting others do it to you.
It is very important that both parties walk away with a real sense of agreement and understanding of what they’ve agreed to as a basis for a promised outcome. Having this kind of understanding and agreement that both people are equally committed to is crucial to ensuring success. Simply assigning a crystal clear mandate to an individual, then walking away assuming that mandate will be fulfilled, is not consistent with defining accountabilities. For that mandate to be fulfilled, the individual receiving it must agree to it, and agree that it is doable.
Accountability is critical to team and organizational success. Learn how to build a culture of accountability in this guide.
3. Available Freedom
Typically, when we have made a commitment to deliver something, we have a degree of freedom available to us in order to fulfill that commitment. This freedom can be how long we have to do the job, how much money we can spend, what other resources we can pull in, how often we need to report in, etc. Whenever we assign this kind of freedom to somebody else, or are given it ourselves, we need to be confident that the amount of freedom we have is sufficient to ensure the job gets done. When we don’t have enough freedom, doing the job becomes very difficult—and sometimes impossible.
On the other hand, if we have too much freedom, then there’s a chance of making a large mistake or misusing a significant amount of the resources available. Matching the freedom to the job ensures that there is a much greater chance of success. Consequently, available freedom is very important and needs to be well spelled out and understood by all concerned.
When an individual is given accountability, that person also needs to be given the scope within which he or she has to act. This scope should spell out the resources the individual has to work with as well as the decision-making parameters. Without spelling out the degree of freedom, both parties may move down the path towards accomplishment based on different assumptions. As a result, the agreed outcome will likely not materialize. To avoid this, ensure both parties are clear on what is the scope for the person with the task, before it’s initiated. Know the paddock size and make sure everyone agrees on that size before action is taken to deliver on the promise.
4. Consequences
Being responsible includes accepting the consequences of our actions. To ensure responsible behavior, we must also ensure that there are consequences as a result of that behavior. When an individual makes a promise to do something, and is successful at it, then there should be naturally occurring consequences of the promise itself being delivered. Additional positive consequences may include praise, a greater degree of personal freedom, taking on of greater responsibility, or the ability to have a greater influence on subsequent decisions.
Similarly, when promises are not met, there need to be negative consequences. These could include less responsibility in the future, not allowing further action until the initial promise is completed, restriction of the freedom to act by requiring additional direction, or some form of rebuke. Having consequences keeps the promises from being hollow.
Bearing the responsibility means that the individual must accept the consequences of failure, or less than complete success; these need to be spelled out in advance and then adhered to. Similarly, the consequences of success also need to be spelled out and adhered to. Without consequences, the focus on accountability is hollow.
5. Hierarchy of Action
Since delivering on what we promise is so important, it makes sense to know which things should be given the highest priority. To deliver on a relatively unimportant promise at the expense of a crucial one neither makes sense nor is the best use of time. Consequently, those involved need to sit together and determine what the major priorities are, and put them into some form of rank or order. In this way, it’s much easier to make a decision on what to leave undone in the event you can’t do everything you had hoped to do.
Accountabilities need to be hierarchically organized. This hierarchy needs to be clearly spelled out in advance so that the individual knows what can be compromised and what cannot. Having this hierarchy also allows you to determine when you can make a commitment to be accountable for something and when you can’t. This hierarchy is defined based on our best judgment.
6. Executional Excellence
If we make a promise to deliver on an outcome, then at that moment we are committing to seeing it through. We have the very best of intentions and are determined to persevere. This is good and important, but it is still only the first step. We need to follow up on that desire with concrete action. When we get to the action steps, very often we have to do them when we are tired, when we would rather be doing something else, or when we are getting pressure from other priorities.
It’s at this point that “the rubber meets the road” and we must make the decisions required to deliver on what we’ve already committed. One of the best ways to make sure we actually follow through on our promises is to make the plan right after we make the promise, then stick to the plan, knowing that after we’ve finished all the steps, we will have fulfilled the promise. If we just try to “wing it” from day to day, then very often the pressures or urgencies of the moment can work to pull us away from our intentions, and we fail to deliver on what we’ve promised.
Long-term credibility is only gained by consistent, long-term delivery on our accountabilities. In order to ensure this consistent delivery, our focus needs to be on executional excellence. Develop a detailed and specific plan that will give you the confidence that, if followed, will ensure you deliver the promised outcome. Leave nothing to chance, no “bridges that will be crossed when you get there.” Rather, give considerable thought to the details of the execution.
By following these six steps, business leaders will be able to commit to delivering on their promises. By doing so, you’ll build your credibility and accountability when it comes to delivering on your word.
As this is the last section in our principles of leadership series, it’s my hope that you’ve enjoyed everything you’ve learned throughout these posts!
