Be reliable from day one

Being reliable starts with making commitments you can keep. Before agreeing to more work, check your existing commitments and the time, help, or information the new task requires. Propose what you can complete and ask your manager to resolve competing priorities.

State what you will do and when: “I will send you the draft by Thursday at noon.” If you are still estimating, agree on when you will confirm a deadline.

Record each commitment, recipient, and due date in shared 1:1 notes or the team’s task list. Plan the work, review your commitments daily, and follow up on help you need.

Complete the work to the agreed standard. Give updates at agreed checkpoints and tell the recipient when it is ready.

As soon as delivery becomes uncertain, explain what changed to the people affected. Propose a revised date, smaller deliverable, or additional support. Confirm their agreement and update the recorded commitment.