Our partners

Being a romantic, I wanted to treat my wife to a special meal at our local restaurant. We had been there previously, and although they were not that familiar with us , they would realise who we were.

I 'phoned up for an early evening table (since we like to fill our evening elsewhere) and was welcomed by a charming lady who, by her voice, may have been of Italian extraction. I asked for 7:00 p.m. on the next Friday, and she said 'that will be fine', but didn't ask who I was.

I enquired if she needed my name and a cell phone number to reserve the booking, but she declined, telling me that at they don't take bookings that early in the evening since it wouldn't be busy.

In the event, when we arrived, you guessed it, they had a large booking and while the evening wasn't ruined it definitely entered a downward spiral. It was sad to have to be courteously insistent, and after an interval and a libation at the bar we did make that dinner date, although it wasn't what the two of us expected.

What went awry? Well I was too easy going when I didn't make sure that I got the booking before I rang off. I didn't get commitment.

Chatting to a customer, the other day, it became evident to me that he was suffering the same fate. He had grown used to asking his development team 'How's it going' in a casual way, because he felt that it conveyed unity and trust.

In fact he generally heard 'fine, its going o.k.', which he intimated to be just that. Of course it wasn't really fine, and it turned out that he experienced delays and software problems that he hadn't expected, giving him insomnia and funding pressure as the development budget were dissipated.

If developers and their project managers aren't challenged unambiguously what the position is, then human nature decrees an answer that matches the question (read unclear).

So rather than pausing at the phrase 'how's it going', why not push on until you get a firm commitment.

‘how are things?'

'When will it be tested?'

'That's the 20th August?'

'And you will have finished development and testing?'

'All the bugs will be fixed?'

'You are committed to that date?'

Even if part of the answers you get are not what you want to hear, you will be in a much better situation to handle the situation than if you just accepted their fuzzy replies.

To get commitment ensure you request it. Be clear that that you don't accept an indefinite answer and carry on enquiring until you get entire confirmation.

If you don’t succeed in getting commitment at every stage of your plan you leave everything to luck. By asking politely but persistently for a clear and unambiguous reply to your request you will avoid the catastrophe that bunches into a concertina at the end of the plan.

For the last 20 years Rob Wendes has been providing stress free business technology solutions to Business owners and professionals. http://www.tactips.com

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