The following post inspired this blog, as it is something I have talked about extensively, and you’ll love this story.
I found this on LinkedIn yesterday, it is brought to you by Robert Sterling:
———————————–
I hope you’ll go to Robert’s post and read the comments, which this is a viral post on LinkedIn’s algorithm. Well done, Robert, for sharing such a great example of my topic of The Promise.
So, what to do when you’ve broken The Promise?
At some point, every one of us has broken a promise.
Sometimes it’s unintentional.
Sometimes it’s the result of overcommitting, misjudging, or simply falling short.
And sometimes, if we’re honest, it’s something we saw coming and didn’t address in time.
However it happens, the moment after matters most.
That is what I love about this pilot – HIT IT HEAD ON and COMMUNICATE IMMEDIATELY!
Because when a promise is broken, people don’t just remember the event—they remember the response.
It’s natural to want to explain, or to soften the situation.
To hope it resolves itself with time.
But in most cases, like the airplane delay, those instincts create more distance instead of repairing it.
How often have I been trapped in an airport, or in the airplane itself, and instead of saying anything, the pilot makes us sit there and wonder if we’re ever going to leave?
It’s FAR better to get on the mic and explain the issue, keep me informed, tell me the reason.
SAFETY? Ok, I get it, and appreciate it…applause!
Usually they say NOTHING and it drives the customer crazy.
Get on the mic, say something, tell them what’s going on, don’t keep it a secret from those suffering for the plane to get moving.
Rebuilding trust doesn’t require perfection.
But it does require clarity.
First, it requires acknowledging what happened—directly and without deflection.
Not just that something went wrong, but that it mattered. In this case: SAFTEY FIRST is REAL.
Second, it requires recognizing the impact. Even if the intention wasn’t harmful, the outcome still affected someone. I LOVE how this pilot let’s them know that he knows this is disappointing!
Third, it requires a clear recommitment. Not a vague “I’ll do better,” but a specific understanding of what will change moving forward. And let’s not ignore that he takes the blame, reminds the audience it’s not the gate agent’s fault…brilliant! THIS IS LEADERSHIP!
And finally, it requires consistency over time.
Trust is rarely restored in a single conversation.
It’s rebuilt through repeated evidence that things are different now.
Most people are more willing to extend grace than we expect. When I have broken a promise, mostly every single time I explain and over-communicate what I did wrong, or what clearly happened, there is extra grace because we just want to know what happened!
But then, remember, they are paying attention to what happens next!
Do the actions align with the words?
Does the pattern actually change?
Avoiding a broken promise tends to deepen the damage.
Facing it—honestly and consistently—is what begins to repair it.
Not perfectly. But meaningfully. And often, the way a promise is restored can build even more trust than if it had never been broken at all.
4 Responses
This post resonates with me as a tax professional. In my industry, we get extremely overwhelmed during tax season and it is difficult, if not impossible at times, to keep up and timely complete our work. I have decided that being honest with my clients and striving to communicate completion status and results is the best way forward.
Yes sir, that is very wise. I wish more thought this way, it makes all the difference for the client.
AMEN! I’ve done my share of travel and seen this type situation handled so badly so often. Not sure why no info seems to be the standard practice. Best guess is they may not know when/how the situation is going to get resolved, and don’t want to over-promise and make it worse. My recommendation is maybe provide a best case/worst case description, with some caveats, so folks can make a somewhat informed decision to stick around, go home if they’re local, seek other options, or just take a nap.
Totally agree with not blaming the ground crew, can’t stand it when people do that! OK, rant over.
I agree with you. Yes, give us some details, but don’t keep it all a secret. Communication wins in this instance and most of them!