You know the one…
Someone pledges to accomplish a task, project, or goal by a certain time and they actually follow through on their commitment. It’s stunning!
From my vantage point as a strategic business coach, it appears accountability and commitment are as rare as a unicorn. Yet, this is the frustration of many small business owners that arise from the irritation of broken and abandoned promises.
It’s not that simple, Nike!
I’d like to believe Nike’s mantra is enough for commitment, accountability, and outcomes. Just Do It. Oh, if it were so…
We can’t indict others for this seemingly blatant disregard of honoring promises without looking at how we handle commitments. Whether it’s a promise made to a client, an agreement with a business partner, or a pledge to our business coach (Egads!), commitments are slippery.
Someone said,”Commitment is doing the thing you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you.” —Unknown.
Let’s Keep The Mood Going
A commitment to which one holds him or her self accountable is more than raising your hand to say, “I will.” Whether it’s with another — or oneself — a commitment conversation has several crucial steps including:
- Achieve clarification and agreement.
- Review specific results and due dates.
- Discuss capabilities and concerns, if any, of meeting deliverables on time.
- Identify resources and/or tools needed to accomplish the objective.
- Establish the measurement of success.
- Verify and clarify expectations, results, and timelines.
Although it requires time, presence of mind, and skill, have the conversation. It’s the one discussion that maintains the momentum to deliver on promises made.
