Kill the Hype

Jodie operated counter to the Scottish proverb advising: "Never let your feet run faster than your shoes." She was full of ideas, full of promise, full of idealism, and short on results. Her over-promising was stalling her career. You see, results are what differentiate people who are winning at working from people who aren't. Results are how both companies, and people, prosper. As much as Jodie talked, with absolute confidence, about what she was going to do, she didn't do it.

There's no shortage of Jodies in the workplace. There are too many people talking about what they're going to do, want to do, or are thinking about doing. They paint intriguing pictures with their exuberance and that helps them get the assignment. But they fail to deliver on the promise. In my twenty years in management, I found them in both consultants and in-house staffs. I've even hired a few. I guess I wanted to believe they could do what they said.

So, when you find someone who builds your hopes and enhances your trust, take note. You see, there's one talent that defines people who are winning at working. They don't disappoint. They deliver. They consistently produce what they say they will. And they do it again and again and again. They may pitch their ideas with passion and exuberance, or caution and logic, but they don't hype them.

People who are winning at working deliver what they promise. If anything they under-promise and over-deliver, without ever sandbagging. Every time they do what they say they're going to do, they build their credibility. And credibility builds careers. But, there's another benefit too. Self-esteem soars when you surprise and delight a boss, a client, or a teammate by delivering more than you promised. Want to start winning at working? Don't promise more than you can deliver. And kill the hype.

(c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.