Overpromising & Underdelivering

“Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.”- Teddy Roosevelt

One of the quickest ways to undermine the relationship with a client is failure to deliver on a commitment.  Project managers who fall into this trap genuinely mean well.  However, factors such as poor time management, lack of self-discipline, or simply taking on too many projects may play a major role.  Too often, project managers commit without a clear understanding of how much is expected of them and ruin their company’s credibility.

The best way to avoid underdelivering is to be realistic with one’s self and the client.  Taking inventory of current obligations, reviewing resources and assessing the team’s skills and abilities is critical.  Though capitalizing on opportunities that bring in additional revenue for the company is always the goal, it is critical to the business’ reputation to know when to decline an opportunity that one cannot deliver on.

Recognizing that some leaders often lack the discipline it takes to avoid overpromising, Jeremie Bacon highlights what he believes are some of the ways one can avoid falling into this pitfall.  In his article entitled “3 Tips to Avoid Overpromising”, Bacon discusses the importance of keeping internal communications open, talking to clients about their expectations, and being transparent about timelines.  Although Bacon ties these tips to the retail world, they can also be applied to the world of project management.  In fact, these three tips have served as a surefire path to successful execution, here at CDCG.  While our CEO, Karen Curry Davis, routinely finds herself acquiring new projects, allowing these three tips to serve as a foundation has allowed the company to avoid overpromising and underdelivering.

To learn more about overpromising and ways to avoid it, read Jeremie Bacon’s article, “3 Tips to Avoid Overpromising.”

Article: http://journeys.getsynap.com/3-tips-to-avoid-over-promising