7. Handle Slippage.
There are two kinds of slippage, the kind resulting from an initially soft commitment and the kind resulting from a firm commitment that ran into reality. Both must be addressed immediately. The most expensive error in dealing with marginal performance is to ignore it and hope it will improve. This contributes to an atmosphere of denial and non-closure (people responding to others' needs with "yes" but with no timeline promised).
The best way to deal with slippage is immediately and respectfully. The non-assumptive question "What happened?" is far more effective than an initial accusation or even the question "Why?", either of which can invite defensiveness and delay progress. "What happened?" is the beginning of a problem-solving collaboration, which will create leverage and new learning - - which the Leadership Organization consistently seeks.