The Eastern Way – Fundamental #13: Honor Commitments
This fundamental was written by Jennifer Lujan. Jennifer has worked with Eastern Funding for over 8 years. Jennifer currently serves as one of Eastern Funding’s loan officers and helps small business owners secure financing for their projects.
Honor Commitments: Deliver your commitments every time. This includes being on time for all phone calls, appointments, meetings and promises. Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it. If a commitment can’t be fulfilled, notify others early and agree on a new commitment to be honored.
This fundamental seems pretty simple, right? When you say you are going to do something, then you do it! Unfortunately, we all know too well it is sometimes not that simple. When we make a commitment we wholeheartedly believe that it will be kept. However, if you are at all like me, your work day can become hectic and interruptions are unavoidable. There are days when I am already working on multiple files and the phone rings, then suddenly everything else becomes a rush too – vendors begin pushing for purchase orders, fundings and approvals. Internally, Loan Officer requests loan narratives to be completed and proposals to be sent out. Interruptions happen! Breathe.
Even though things can become overwhelming, remember your commitments. If you think they will be delayed – make sure you communicate. Communication is the key to honoring commitments.
Keep customers informed throughout the process. Call, email, text…do your best to keep customers informed on your progress. The worst thing you can do is leave someone hanging.
Commit to a new due date/time. This time really stick to it! Block out time to complete the task. Do not answer your phone or emails until you are done. Tell others that you have made a commitment to someone and have already missed the deadline once. Get back to those people right after you have finished.
Be practical. Do not commit to something that you know is impossible. Evaluate the request and tell the person that you don’t think the task is possible and offer another solution.
We want our customers and colleagues to trust and believe in us. At Eastern Funding, we are “relationship builders.” As stated in Fundamentally Different by David Friedman, “Solid business relationships are built upon a foundation of trust, and trust is built upon the practice of honoring commitments.”
Per Dick Fabian’s, “Our word is our bond.” If you say that you are going to do something, then just do it ! If for some reason we cannot fulfill a promise, then be truthful and tell that person.
Next up is Fundamental #14 – “Document Everything” by William Chong.
