Keep Your Word

I know it sounds like very obvious advice but here it is anyway. Keep your word. Especially when you have specifically told a group of people not to worry about something because you are going to take care of it. And if for some reason you are not able to do what you said you would do, please just admit it. When it comes up again don't pretend like it is a new issue and you never previously said you would take care of it.

Real life example: Several weeks ago one of my co-workers specifically asked to have an item added to our staff meeting agenda so they could get input from the team about a special event that was being planned. We did not get to that agenda item, because the person who asked to have it put on the agenda double booked themselves and needed to leave the meeting early. As they left they said 'don't worry about that item, I will follow-up with everyone individually'. Great, problem solved, right? No, wrong, because they never followed-up. This morning they contacted me and asked to call a special staff meeting (during new years week) because they need to get input from the team about a special event, which is happening in 6 days. No mention of the fact that they had committed to deal with this two weeks ago...Very annoying...