When You Over Commit

Published on
February 25, 2013
Author
Chris Taylor
"Ideas are only valuable when applied."
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The blessing and the curse of being a high performer is that you take a lot on. It’s the nature of who we are. So, every once in a while (and hopefully not more than that!), we find ourselves in situations where we have bitten off more than we can chew. (or at least, chew right now) How do you react in those situations? Here are the basic responses I’ve seen:

  • Go on the attack. “It’s everyone else’s fault, not yours. If everything had been perfect feeding up to you, you would have got it done.”
  • Go MIA. Disappear, bury your head in the sand, and hope it all goes away.
  • With grace and humility, admit that you’ve made a mistake.

In my experience, if you’re good at what you do, your intentions are true, and you communicate clearly and regularly, people are willing to forgive you for over committing. Don’t do it again. But you’ll likely get another chance. Go on the attack or disappear though, and you’re effectively throwing the gasoline of added stress on an already burning relationship.

What about you? Have you seen any other responses to over committing?