How to define your ‘critical non-essentials’

Recently, I was in discussion with a revered business associate. He opined that his Team was over delivering to its clients and it was costing his company a fortune. “They’re getting far too many extra hours spent on the delivery of their projects” he said.

Personally, I think the reality is that quite often, concerning the delivery of his Client’s projects, that the estimations of time and complexity are unrealistic. His company is not ‘over delivering’ it is under estimating. Either that or his ‘Projects’ Team lack knowledge and are not productive enough. Spending to many hours delivering the project and missing the deadline is not ‘Over Delivering’ it is over promising.

Under Promise and Over Deliver

‘Under Promise & Over Deliver’ was a strapline coined by Fedex. It was designed to create the perception that Fedex customers get more in the way of service than they expected. This positive feeling would induce them to always use Fedex.

In freight forwarding using your spare capacity to deliver 2 day scheduled items in 1 day is under promising and over delivering. In Air Travel upgrading economy passengers into spare business class seats is under promising and over delivering.

Both are examples of using ‘Critical Non-Essentials’(The Absolute Critical Non-Essentials by Paddi Lund) It is not essential to the business to give these services away, but it is critical if you want to create the perception that your company ‘Under Promises and Over Delivers’ in the remarkable care of its customers.