Deliver the results you promised

Before promising work on the team’s behalf, check the estimate, existing assignments, and dependencies with the people who will do it. Resolve competing priorities or propose a smaller deliverable or later date.

Record each commitment with its owner, recipient, deadline, and completion standard. Confirm the owner’s agreement. Put commitments where the people involved can find them and agree on when to review progress.

At check-ins, review the work against the standard and address the decisions or resources the team needs from you. Follow through on your own commitments.

When delivery becomes uncertain, discuss the cause with the owner. Agree on a revised plan with the people affected, explain the impact, and update the recorded commitment.

Confirm completion with the recipient. Recognize the specific actions that helped the team deliver, including useful checks and coordination, as you observe them. Review recurring problems with the team and change the conditions contributing to them.