Lunch is over and you’re into the afternoon board meeting. Perhaps your division hasn’t been performing so well in the past month. Just before you accidentally commit to any improvement this month, why not roll out, “That should improve over time.”
It’s perfect.
Last month’s productivity was down by 10%. We’ve looked into it and that should improve over time.
In next month’s board meeting you won’t (can’t) be held to account. After all you did promise that it should improve over time. You have become the master of the slippery promise. It will confuse your boss. You promised, and yet you didn’t. You should be held responsible, and yet you won’t be.
It gets better. Use this phrase with your supervisors and soon your reports will be using it with (against) you as well. No one in the whole company will be held responsible for their promises.
If you enjoy low morale and distrust why not make this part of your induction.
Or, if you would prefer to work in a high trust environment with positive morale you could be specific about what you intend to improve for next month, by how much and how… but no, you wouldn’t want that would you.