Delivering What You Promise

Along with hamburgers and hotdogs, it wouldn’t be the 4^th of July without a great firework display. I love a big show with an impressive finale, and that is just what I expected when I found the perfect spot to watch last Monday. We were fortunate to be on the East Coast by a harbor, with the fireworks shot off over the lighthouse. There were thousands of people, of course, since we had all read the promo about the spectacular show that would take place. It was a quiet, glum crowd when the whole thing wrapped up in 20 minutes with no finale.

This got me thinking about over-promising. We are all looking for the most stars, the most likes, and the best reviews. Our social media posts like to brag about how we are #1. But there are pitfalls to overselling who and what you are. Now I know the old adage says, “fake it ‘til you make it,” but you better be sure you can make it if you are going to fake it. People can quickly see if they have been over-promised and under-delivered.

What Promises Have You Made?

Take a moment to look around at what you as a leader promise and what your hospital promises. Do they match? Do your social media posts say, “friendliest staff around,” yet staff won’t say hello in the hallways? Do you tell your team you are there for them but throw them under the bus when there is an issue? Do you tell your boss that you can get a project done by a certain deadline even though you don’t have the time or experience?

It’s easier to over-promise than it is to deliver. The problem comes when you can’t keep your word. At that point, the damage is done, and you now must rebuild trust and your reputation.  In project development we call this the planning fallacy, a concept made famous by Nobel award winner Daniel Kahneman who explained it this way: The planning fallacy is that you make a plan, which is usually best case scenario. Then you assume that the outcome will follow your plan, even when you should know better.

Rebuilding Trust

I think the bottom line here is just being honest and leaning into your values as a person and as a leader. If your hospital truly is the friendliest place be proud to share the news, but if you know better, look for something else you do well. If you have lost trust because of over-promising, acknowledge what has happened and then work to make it right. Here are six easy things you can do to regain trust.

1. Set realistic expectations.
2. Address people’s concerns.
3. Listen with intention.
4. Help and support others.
5. Be open to improvement.
6. Reflect on the experience.

I’m not sure what went wrong with our fireworks show. We guessed that it was a malfunction but we never heard. All I know is that people came expecting one thing but got something quite different. Do a check to make sure that doesn’t happen to you or your hospital.