Technology Blog: Be Honest About the Commitment Required

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Be Honest About the Commitment Required

"Commitment" by barbararich

Several years ago when I was working in New York, a colleague asked me to take over his position on a cross-functional committee.� I definitely hesitated, as I was near the beginning of my career and was working crazy hours and churning out work product like there was no tomorrow so that I could prove myself to my boss.

?It Will Be a Piece of Cake?

However, the colleague convinced me that the committee would require no effort at all.� All I would have to do is show up at the meetings once a quarter and contribute my ideas there.� This seemed acceptable and I wanted to come across as can-do, so I signed on.� Well, imagine my surprise when the committee turned out to be a ton of work.� My role actually involved coordinating the schedules of half a dozen people, hosting regular conference calls, planning events, and responding to a near-constant stream of e-mails.� At one point, the committee took more of my time than my actual job.

For the next year, I was stuck in a position into which I felt I?d been duped, and I was not happy about it.� I was resentful, and I blamed the colleague who?d recruited me.� In fact, I vowed never to trust him again.

The Devil in Downplaying

If you are going to ask a colleague or report to do something ?�whether it?s mandatory or not�? please be honest about the commitment required.� It is better to realistically set expectations and have the person express reservations or turn down the task on the front end than to trick them into accepting a job they may not be qualified or otherwise in a position to do effectively.� This will not be good for your organization, or for your relationship with the colleague/report.

Keep in mind, also, that when you talk through the job requirements, you should mention more than the bare minimum. �For instance, maybe my colleague thought I could get away with merely showing up to the quarterly committee meetings, but he should have known me better than that.� Once I agree to do something, I give it my all.� You should assume that your colleague/report will be the same way and not undersell the task.

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