Under promising and over delivering

Chapter 343

“How good are you at delivering what you said you would do?”

In my opinion, this is the most important deliverable there is out there. How you do or don’t deliver is precisely the way that people will remember you. Think about it, you said something that implied you would do A B or C. You might have been just thinking out loud or wishing for something, or only observing that it needed to be done or purchased or accomplished. Nothing committed on your part in your mind.

But in the mind of those who are hearing you say those things, they are promises, commitments, near accomplishments! This is true in what you say to your kids, and its true in what you say around those you work with and those you lead. Not it is not fair, but this seems to be the normal human exchange in relationships. This is why I have adopted the motto “Under-promise, over-deliver.” It was clearly important to my children (and now my grandchildren!) that I deliver at the very least what I spoke out loud.

This is something I have seen and experience 100’s of times in my work overseas during the last 26 years. A foreigner (i e American) would stand up in front of these people that I worked with for decades and make so many promises, none of which are likely to happen. I can say with great certainty that far less than 10% of them will accomplish or deliver what they are saying they will deliver.

As a direct correlation my co-workers don’t believe you 90% of the time.