Promises

TLDR

Teachable Moment: Assess realistic deliverables from your team and avoid overpromising on their behalf.

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The Problem

Raise your hand if you find yourself saying “yes” more than “no” when it comes to your team’s bandwidth.

You’re eager to showcase your team’s abilities and have them rise to every challenge, but it’s all too tempting to overpromise and overextend.

Another project here, or another tight deadline there, everything seems possible, especially when you’re likely not the one doing the actual heavy lifting.

And the result?

Your failure to consider your team’s existing workload or capacity creates yet another ticking time bomb.

One that’s imposed on your team, hanging over their heads as you watch their morale take a nose dive.

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The Solution

Be mindful of your team’s capacity, and ensure they have a voice in determining what they can realistically take on.

Instead of biting off more than your team can chew and setting them up for a race against the clock, take a moment and evaluate what they have on their plate.

Your goal is to have a team focusing on quality rather than quantity when it comes to their workload.

From the very start, manage expectations and resist the allure of promises that lead to over-committing.

Being reasonable doesn’t mean you’re undercutting your team’s potential; it means you’re fostering a healthier, more balanced work environment where your team can deliver exceptional work without the shadow of unnecessary stress.