Use your iPhone to avoid making promises you can’t keep

as such apple It rolls out its latest iPhone, and here’s a new way to use your current device (Apple or not) to be more ethical.

Let’s focus on how to keep our promises and avoid making promises we are not ready to keep.

Disturbing but true story

Years ago, I gave a talk with a group of association executives, and an audience member—I’ll call him Daniela—spoke to me after the speech. Daniela asked me to write an article for her organization’s prestigious magazine. I was honored and immediately agreed to do so.

As the essay deadline approached, I found myself overwhelmed by the promises I had previously made. I called Daniela and asked if I could get an extension.

She replied, “I can’t do that.” “This is a strict deadline. I will find someone else.”

You blew it! I made a goodwill promise but I couldn’t keep it. The worst thing about this annoying situation is that it could have been avoided.

Instead of immediately promising Daniela that I would write an article for her, I should have revised my schedule to see if I had time to take on the project. An honest evaluation would have led me to the conclusion that I wouldn’t be able to do it, at least not very well.

Here’s how you can avoid making the same mistake I did.

Your phone’s secret weapon to help you keep promises

Checking the calendar on your phone is the best preventative measure to help you avoid making promises that you can’t keep. This week—maybe later today—when someone asks you to do something on a specific date, and you’re free to accept or decline it, respond with, “I like it! Let me check my calendar, and I’ll get back to you.”

Then, in a quiet moment when you can focus, look at what you need to do by the deadline I set for you. If you can honor those other obligations, you are good to go.

If not, tell the person, “I can’t do that.” You can see if the deadline can be extended. Either way, you don’t have to apologize. You can even do the opposite. “I wish I could, but I have other promises to keep.”

benefit

The person you’re rejecting may be disappointed with your response, but they will also respect you for being someone who cares about keeping their promise.

Ignore this at your own risk

If you tend to say “yes” even though there are other deadlines to meet, pay attention to the voice in your head that tells you, “Don’t do that!”

I’ve noticed that every time I ignore that voice, I feel sorry for it. You will too.

What is the relationship of fulfilling a promise with morals?

Using your iPhone to avoid making promises you can’t keep is a form of moral intelligence. How is that?

The ethical issues we read about a lot are the ones that carry great risks, such as Corruption, fraud and money laundering. These are actually ethical concerns, but so is keeping promises.

Keeping the promises we make and resisting the temptation to make promises we’re not ready to keep are the most powerful ways we show respect. The principle of respect for others is one of the Five Principles of Moral Intelligence. (The others are “Do no harm, make things better, be fair, and take care, all these things I explored earlier.”) Forbes Articles.)

I refer to these as ethical principles intelligence Because striving to live by them is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do too.

call to action

The next time you are asked to implement a project and you are free to accept or decline it:

1. Express that you want to do this (if that’s true) but say you need to check your calendar.
2. If you have no other commitments that will prevent you from doing well with that commitment, then you have your full power!
3. If you cannot carry out the project without compromising your other obligations, transfer it to the city.
4. Listen to the voice in your head telling you, “Don’t do that!”

This phone you carry everywhere can help you avoid making promises you’re not ready to keep. Why don’t you use it this way?