How many times do you find yourself unable to follow through with commitments you made to others? This could apply to work or personal commitments. Every day I see good people who have great intentions but don’t follow thought with a commitment they made.

Just today, I talked with someone on the West Coast who was hired over 10 days ago to accomplish a very simple task that only takes a few days to accomplish. During my follow-up with them I found out they have not yet started the task. I guess this person had great intentions but their actions speak louder.

When you cannot follow through with a commitment you made, what do you do? Just ignore it? Do you ask for help? Do you communicate your issue?

First, don’t ignore it! Communicate immediately! Most of the time we realize early on when we have over booked ourselves. Communicate the situation right from the beginning and don’t wait till the last minute. The person you committed to will look more favorably toward you when you speak up early than when you do not communicate.

Second, offer a solution.  You made the commitment so be part of the solution and not the potential issue.

 

Now look at the total situation.

What do I need to do to be able to follow through with commitments I have made?

What do I need to do to assure that this will not happen again in the future?

Do I need to hire more people?

Do I need to cut down on the work I am doing?

Do I need to ask for help?

 

Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions.  You may have a heart of gold – but so does a hard-boiled egg.  ~Author Unknown