MOVE 71 · ACCOUNTABILITY & DOCUMENTATION · FREE
Name the Missed Commitment
When someone misses a promised action, raise it promptly and specifically, without blame, and agree a new date.
A missed commitment ignored becomes a commitment cancelled.
WHY IT WORKS
Letting a missed deadline pass silently teaches that deadlines are optional. Naming it quickly and neutrally — what was promised, when, and asking for a new date — maintains accountability without damaging the relationship and often uncovers obstacles you can help remove.
WHEN TO USE IT
- An agreed deliverable or response did not arrive.
- Small misses are starting to accumulate.
WHEN NOT TO USE IT
- The miss was caused by your own delay upstream.
- You know of a serious personal circumstance that warrants patience.
SIGNALS IT FITS
- A promised item is a day or more overdue.
- You are adjusting your plans silently around someone else's misses.
PREPARATION
- Confirm the original commitment and date.
- Decide what new date you need.
STEP BY STEP
- Reference the commitment and the date.
- Ask whether something got in the way.
- Agree a new specific date.
- Note it in writing.
OPENING LINE
“We'd planned to have the feedback by Tuesday — is it still coming?”
SCRIPT
We'd agreed you'd send the feedback by Tuesday. I haven't seen it yet — is it still coming, and could you get it to me by Friday?
LIKELY RESPONSES & COUNTERS
- If they explain and give a new date
- Accept, confirm in writing and check in at the new date.
- If they seem defensive
- Acknowledge their workload and keep the focus on the new date.
SECOND MOVE
If misses keep happening, use Track the Pattern Before Raising It.
FOLLOW-UP
Check in on the new date without waiting for it to slip again.
COMMON MISTAKES
- Waiting a week before saying anything.
- Raising it publicly in a group setting.
WALK-AWAY CONDITIONS
- Commitments are missed repeatedly even after new dates are agreed.
EXAMPLE (FICTIONAL)
A designer used to wait silently when client feedback was late. She began sending a same-day note after any miss; average delay fell from eight days to two.
ETHICAL BOUNDARY
Address the miss privately and fairly. Public shaming for a missed task is disproportionate.
RELATED MOVES
Content version 1 · Drafted by Power Move IQ Editorial · Not yet human-reviewed · Educational decision support, not legal, financial or employment advice.