Under-promise and overdeliver, says resident on Complex renos

December 3, 2014 · 0 Comments

As a regular user of the gym at the Aurora Leisure Complex, I was recently dismayed to discover that the renovations to the new gym/youth centre complex will not be ready for use until well into 2015 when customers expected to be there, well, now.
This reminded me of a “consultation” given by Al Downey, the Director of Parks and Recreation, in 2013, at which he proudly announced that he had never yet “missed a deadline.”
Well, Mr. Downey, there is always a first time and although I am sure the blame game is in operation and it is the fault of the contractor, weather, materials etc., etc., the simple fact is that a senior Town Council administrator ought to be familiar with something I learned in my early years as a corporate manager and now teach to undergraduate business students at York University – Management 101: under-promise and over deliver and manage client expectations very, very carefully.
If you cannot deliver even close to promises made it is always better to keep your mouth shut.

Steve McKenna
Aurora