Saying “I got you” is free. The follow-through is the part people pay attention to.

Offering to have somebody’s back costs nothing, and because it costs nothing it is not the part being measured. What gets noticed is the distance between the sentence and the Tuesday afternoon it was supposed to cover. Say it often and deliver sometimes and the words turn into noise, which is a shame, because it is a genuinely good thing to be able to say.

Promise narrower and finish it: not that you have got them, but that you will be there at six with the drill. Write it somewhere you will see it. If it falls through, tell them early enough that they can still fix it.