Reliability
“I’ll get it to you by Tuesday.”
Your people should be able to count on you.
If you say you will do something by a specific day and time, your good intentions are insufficient. “I was going to get to it, but…” erodes their trust in you and their respect for you. You need to follow through, especially when people are relying on you.
It helps to under-promise and over-deliver. When planning, I usually build in about 20% more time than I think I actually need. Consider what other commitments you have before committing to do more. Give yourself calendar reminders and alarms, if those work for you. For example, I have an ongoing project this spring, so I have blocked out work time and prep time for this specific project on my calendar in the 5-10 business days before each due date. If I can knock out an action item three days early and get it off my desk, it frees up more time for other things I need to do, and it takes the pressure off if something unexpected happens later in the week. And if the action item takes more time than I anticipated, I have that time.
Build in enough time for your contributions. Build in enough time for the contributions of your team members. Meet deadlines and honor your commitments. Be a role model for dependability.
(image generated using Midjourney)