My clients, friends and family know that I am a stickler for holding people to their word. If someone doesn’t follow through with a commitment they’ve made, it tends to diminish their credibility in my eyes.
A big difference between me and many others is that I will have a very direct conversation about what I expect. I have learned that, particularly in business, this approach actually builds trusting relationships.
Breaking a commitment undermines credibility. What the offender thinks is minor could be very important to someone else. And any breach can, at some level, cause unnecessary stress to everyone involved.
Action – Take the time to speak directly to everyone who makes commitments to you. Be honest about the impact of a broken promise.
And if you are the one who usually arrives late, delivers after the deadline or doesn’t make promises concrete, stop making promises until you know you can keep them!