Credible Promises, Credible Threats

A plan is negotiable. A commitment is not.

Do you mean what you say? Not in a motivational way. In a practical way. Because most people in these companies have seen this pattern before:

a new leader comes in

announces something big

people panic, adjust, comply for a week

then the leader gets busy, distracted, or tired

everything returns to old normal

So the system develops a habit: wait it out.

If you want change to become real, you have to break that “wait it out” habit. And you don’t break it with more planning. You break it with commitments that are believable.

Which Seat?

Inherited seat: People assume you can change your mind anytime because you have power. They wait.

Hired seat: People assume you won’t last, or you’ll be overruled. They wait.

Promoted seat: People assume you’ll protect old friendships and bend rules. They wait.

Different seats. Same test: credibility.

Small-town Wow

Think about a public vow in a small town. If someone says, “I will do this,” in a private room, it’s easy to change later. But if they say it publicly where everyone will remember, it becomes harder to reverse. Not because of law. Because of reputation.

That is how commitments work in legacy businesses too. The moment you make something public and link it to your identity, reversing it becomes costly. That cost is what makes it believable.

Thomas Schelling, a well-known strategist, wrote about this idea: commitment changes the game only when it is credible. In simple terms: it must be hard for you to undo it.

Your Initiative

Most leaders think credibility comes from authority. It doesn’t. In MSMEs, authority is often blurry:

the old guard has informal power

the owner still overrides

relatives have influence

senior staff can slow things quietly

people don’t know who will “win” in a conflict

So when you announce a change, people don’t ask, “Is this correct?” They ask, “Will this stick?” And the honest answer depends on one thing:

Real Cost

If there is no cost, it’s a plan. Plans are negotiable. Commitments are different. Commitments lock you in. An empty promise sounds like:

“We will digitise everything.”

“We will become process-driven.”

“We will improve accountability.”

A credible promise sounds like:

“For this pilot, no one will lose their job because of a mistake.”

“Every Monday 11 AM, we will do the dispatch scoreboard no exceptions.”

“Only entries in this queue will be approved. Everything else waits.”

Notice the difference: it’s concrete, and it creates a visible consequence. Also, credible promises are often smaller than empty promises. But they change behavior faster.

Credible Threats

When I say “threat,” I don’t mean aggression. I mean an enforceable rule. Most MSMEs suffer because rules are optional. And optional rules create politics. So a credible “threat” is simply:

clear

calm

enforceable

consistently applied

Example: “Data must be submitted by 6 PM every day.”

If nobody checks and nothing happens when it’s missed, it’s not a rule … it’s a wish.

A real rule has a gate:

“If it’s not updated by 6 PM, it doesn’t get discussed in the 10 AM review.”

“If PO details are missing, the PO doesn’t move.”

“If a quotation isn’t logged, it won’t be approved.”

No shouting. No humiliation. Just a gate.

Design Commitments

Three practical guidelines:

Promise protection before you demand discipline

People won’t share the truth if the truth will hurt them.

That’s why “no layoffs from the pilot” is powerful as it reduces fear.

Make rules enforceable by design, not by energy

If your rule needs you to chase people daily, it will die.

Put it inside the workflow as a gate (Week 3 logic).

Start with one promise and one rule

Too many commitments create confusion and loopholes.

One promise + one rule is enough to change the mood.

(The author is Co-founder at PPS Consulting and a business operations advisor. She helps businesses across sectors and geographies improve execution through global best practices. She could be reached at [email protected])