How the Over-Promise and Under-Deliver Strategy Pushes Team Performance
How the Over-Promise and Under-Deliver Strategy Pushes Team Performance
I recently came across a statement from Shreyas Doshi who suggested "Over-Promise and Under-Deliver" as a strategy for teams.
At first, it sounded strange, contrary to the conventional wisdom of "Under-Promise and Over-Deliver." The suggested approach felt risky—why would anyone advocate for setting expectations high, only to fall short?
But as I looked through it more carefully it started to make sense.
Shreyas is making an excellent point. Over-Promise and Under-Deliver can push individuals and teams beyond their usual limits, and foster greater success and innovation within organizations.
It opens up possibilities for growth that might otherwise be missed.
The Traditional Approach: Under-Promise and Over-Deliver
We’ve all heard the traditional advice: Under-Promise and Over-Deliver. This strategy is deeply ingrained in professional culture for a reason.
The idea is to commit to delivering something you’re confident you can achieve. By doing so, you minimize risk, maintain your reliability, and protect your reputation.
This approach undoubtedly remains the best course of action in many situations. For instance:
When dealing with clients, it’s crucial to meet or exceed their expectations. Delivering on your promises not only boosts customer satisfaction but also builds trust and fosters stronger relationships over time.
Internally, this strategy is equally important when a major milestone is on the horizon and multiple teams are interdependent. In such cases, everyone needs to fulfil their promises to ensure the overall project stays on track. A delay of one team can have a cascading effect, leading to missed deadlines, disrupted plans, and unnecessary stress for everyone involved.
When an organization hires you to solve a major problem, it’s wise to promise what you’re confident you can deliver. It’s important to clearly communicate what is certain to be achieved and what is possible but not guaranteed. This transparency helps set realistic expectations and ensures that both parties are aligned from the start.
The Power of Over-Promise and Under-Deliver
The traditional approach however, has its downsides when applied within an organization.
By consistently playing it safe, teams may fall into a conservative mindset, sticking to what they know rather than reaching for more ambitious goals. This can lead to missed opportunities for innovation and growth, as the focus shifts to maintaining the status quo rather than pushing boundaries.
This is where the Over-Promise and Under-Deliver strategy comes into play.
The Over-Promise and Under-Deliver strategy encourages teams to set ambitious goals and push themselves beyond their comfort zones. It forces them to think creatively and find new ways to reach higher objectives.
Teams transition from the Comfort Zone to the Stretch Zone, where the magic of growth and innovation happens.
The Stretch Zone is the sweet spot—where optimal growth and innovation occur. It’s the desirable target for any ambitious team.
For example, when a team defines their OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), the goal they should always aim to set ambitious goal without being discouraged if 100% success isn’t achieved. Achieving 70-80% of an ambitious goal is a win, as it indicates significant progress.
The key here is progress, not perfection. Each iteration brings the team closer to excellence.
Culture as a Key Prerequisite
The success of the Over-Promise and Under-Deliver strategy is closely tied to a company’s culture and can flourish only in environments that actively support it.
Several key factors should be considered:
Performance evaluations: Performance evaluations should go beyond simply measuring the achievement of the goals set. They should also recognize the effort, creativity, and learning that come from pursuing ambitious objectives. This approach encourages employees to take calculated risks and think beyond conventional limits.
Encouraging higher objectives: When teams consistently deliver on their promises, motivate them to set even higher objectives. Encourage the adoption of the 80% rule—where meeting 80% of a goal is considered a success, and anything beyond that is seen as exceptional. This mindset pushes teams to stretch their capabilities.
Valuing progress over perfection: Value and praise teams for making significant progress, even if they haven’t fully met their commitments. Leadership should encourage a culture where progress is celebrated, rather than punishing shortfalls. Only then can teams feel safe to challenge themselves and drive meaningful change, rather than worrying about management's reaction to unmet goals.
Balancing Ambition with Realism
Ambition is valuable, but unrealistic ambition can have negative consequences.
The Over-Promise and Under-Deliver strategy should be applied in the right situations and with careful consideration.
Beware of the Danger Zone
While the Stretch Zone is where the most growth occurs, it’s crucial to maintain a balance and avoid crossing into the Danger Zone.
Setting goals that are too ambitious and far from reality can lead to stress, burnout, failure, misalignment, and lost trust.
To prevent this, it’s important to keep teams challenged but not overwhelmed. Staying in the Stretch Zone without crossing into the Danger Zone requires careful evaluation and constant reassessment of goals.
Transparent Communication
Another critical aspect is clear communication and expectation management. It’s great for a team to set ambitious goals, but it’s equally important to be transparent with stakeholders about the nature of these goals.
When teams communicate that these are stretch targets, not guarantees, the focus remains on the ambitious goal without leading to miscommunication, eroded trust, or misaligned expectations.
Final Thoughts
The Over-Promise and Under-Deliver strategy has significant potential to drive innovation and motivate teams to exceed their own expectations.
But this approach must be applied carefully. It is not appropriate for every situation, especially when dealing with clients where commitments need to be firm. This strategy is best suited for internal use within a safe environment that supports transparency and encourages calculated risk-taking.
When employed in the right context and executed thoughtfully, this strategy can inspire teams to push boundaries and achieve remarkable results.
What are your thoughts on this strategy? Share your experiences or questions in the comments below!
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