If you know that you’re going to miss a deadline, when would be a good time to talk to someone about that who is impacted by it? That’s right—long BEFORE the deadline.
In fact, maybe you can renegotiate that deadline well in advance. Because if you surprise someone, that’s a problem! I used to have a boss who said to me one time, “Roxanne, tell me the good news, tell me the bad news. Just don’t ever surprise me.” I think that’s how each of us wants to be in life. We don’t want to be surprised.
So, if you know you can’t hit a deadline, renegotiate it in advance. If you know you can’t hit an outcome, renegotiate or go get some help in advance. But don’t surprise someone by just pretending it’s not happening or hoping they don’t notice. You keep your integrity because you renegotiate in advance if something is truly renegotiable. And if it’s not? Get the coaching you need to make sure you hit the commitment, or get the help you need to make sure that your team is not let down.
Be the person that your dog thinks you are. Live your commitments.