Under-promise and over-deliver. How many times have you heard that phrase? Chances are if you’ve been in coding business longer than a year, you’ve heard it at least once if not a dozen times.
As a web developer, we tend to have a wikipedia syndrome, yes I know we are all smart. We never be in the Coding Arena if you are not. A decent programmer has probably an IQ of 125. But sometimes, some of us tend to make over promises and we can do it all syndrome. Yes most probably you can do it and maybe you know someone can help you doing it. But what if???
It’s not the over-delivering part that is dangerous. Over-delivering and WOW-ing your client is good business. It increases client satisfaction, repeat business, and word of mouth which all leads to referrals. You can never add too much value for your clients.
It’s also not the commitment part that is trouble. You must make promises you can keep. This is common sense at it’s best.
A good programmer measure everything, his time, resources, environment and of course skills.
Promises You Intend To Keep
In order to commit with integrity, you must intend to keep your promise, make an under promise statement and you will have less pressure. This implies that you must believe the following:
1. You understand the project. If you don’t understand the conditions of satisfaction (including time), then you cannot expect to fulfill them. You are signing a contract that you haven’t read.
2. You have a robust plan. If your plan can be derailed by likely contingencies, then you cannot expect it to withstand their impact. You are hoping for the best, but not preparing for the worst.
3. You have the necessary skills and resources. If you don’t have the required skills and resources, then you cannot expect to finish the job. You are writing a fraudulent check with no funds in your account.