Note: Running Fridays in FromGregsHead.com, is a continuing series of tips brought to you by Greg Price. These run Saturday mornings during the BusinessMaker’s Radio Show on KPRC 950AM. Audio files can be found on the PKF Texas – Entrepreneur’s Playbook® page of the PKF Texas website.
One of the items I find at the heart of many communication breakdowns includes conversation around commitments and the ability to honor, or not meet these obligations. If your organization is having trouble with commitments, try this exercise.
Before giving a commitment to someone do this quick self assessment before offering a response.
How do I assess the integrity of my commitment? I recommend a quick review of your sincerity.
With sincerity you should:
• Only make promises you intend to keep
• Believe you understand the commitment
• Believe you have the resources and skills to keep it
• Will apply your energy to the task at hand
• Do substantial planning to mitigate risk
You should honor your promises unconditionally. When you see the commitment is at risk you should:
• Alert the creditor immediately
• Apologize and offer an explanation
• Inquire about potential damages
• Negotiate strategies to minimize damages
• Recommit
Remember honoring your commitments doesn’t necessarily mean fulfilling them. Commitments are always first broken ethically (integrity) before being broken effectively. The breaking point occurs when the committed person realizes the promise is at risk and decides to keep quiet about it.
In his book Conscious Business, Fred Kofman writes, “You behavior always express your values in action. Your integrity hinges on whether your values in action agree with your essential values. When they do you feel pride. When they don’t you feel guilt.”