Time Speak: How Clear Commitments Build Trust at Work

Picture the scene. I’m fresh out of university, back home in Leeds, working for a cool company building school administration software. The people were brilliant, the work exciting, and we’d just been given a budget for some training from the legendary Mary Gober International.

We piled onto a coach and headed south. For me, this was an adventure — I’d rarely travelled further than Nottingham. We spent the night in a fancy hotel outside Oxford and the next morning found ourselves at the gates of Blenheim Palace, ancestral home of Winston Churchill.

The building was breathtaking. Grand doesn’t even cover it. We were ushered into a polished training room, fuelled with coffee, and introduced to a set of customer service techniques that would shape my career.

One technique in particular stuck: Time Speak.

I was reminded of it recently when clearing out old files and stumbling across my certificate from that very training session. Decades on, it’s still a technique I use daily — and one I encourage others to adopt.

Why Commitments Matter

Before diving into Time Speak itself, let’s step back.

One of my core behaviours — something I try to model and look for in others—is simple: do what you say you will.

If you commit to something, deliver it. If you can’t, communicate early and honestly.

Trust is built when we keep our word. Trust breaks when we don’t. The habit of delivering on commitments also strengthens critical thinking: it forces us to weigh requests, resources and deadlines before we agree.

This is where Time Speak becomes so powerful.

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What Is Time Speak?

Mary Gober taught us that communication is stronger when it’s anchored to time.

Instead of just saying what you’ll do, you also state when.

• Weak: “I’ll call you back.”
• Stronger: “I’ll call you back this week.”
• Best: “I’ll call you back on Thursday at 11am — does that work for you?”

That small shift turns a vague promise into a concrete commitment.

And here’s the key: even if you don’t have new information when you call back, you still honour the time commitment. By doing so, you build trust.

Why Time Speak Works

1. It shows respect.
   Giving a specific time tells the other person their life matters enough for you to plan around it.
2. It keeps you accountable.
   Vague commitments create escape routes. Specific commitments force you to deliver.
3. It builds discipline.
   Each time you use Time Speak, you strengthen the muscle of thinking through actions, consequences and workload.
4. It encourages bravery.
   Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit you can’t meet an unreasonable deadline — and propose one you can meet.

Time Speak in Action

Let’s say someone asks for a big presentation by Wednesday. You know it’s unrealistic. Instead of over-promising, you use Time Speak:

“I can’t do that by Wednesday — the work required is too large. But I can have it finished by Thursday afternoon at 4pm.”

That clarity creates trust. It shows you’re reliable, not reckless.

I’ve had to do this often. Requests can be unreasonable; your response doesn’t have to be.

Expecting Time Speak from Others

Once you adopt Time Speak, you start to expect it in return.

Not long ago, I was on the phone to my studio insurance company. The agent told me they’d call back “sometime next week.”

I asked them to be more specific.

Straight away, they offered a day and time — and sure enough, they called then.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t commit before; they’d simply never thought to. Once nudged, they delivered.

That’s the hidden strength of Time Speak: it raises the standard of communication for everyone involved.

Lessons from High-Performing Companies

Think of how great delivery companies work. They don’t just say, “Your parcel will arrive soon.” They give you a delivery window — sometimes down to the hour.

They do this because it builds trust. And when they deliver on time, the trust compounds.

The same principle applies in your workplace. Don’t say “I’ll send that over later.” Say “I’ll send it by Friday at 2pm.” Then make sure you do.

Trust Is Earned Through Commitment

Respect for who you are should come by default. But trust? Trust is earned.

It’s earned by keeping promises, meeting deadlines, and doing what you say you will.

Time Speak is one of the simplest, most effective tools for building that trust. It makes you clearer, more accurate, and more dependable.

And when you face unreasonable requests, it gives you a structured way to respond with clarity and confidence.

How to Practise Time Speak

1. Start small. In your next email, replace “I’ll send this soon” with “I’ll send this by [date and time].”
2. Keep your word. Honour the time commitment, even if you have no new update.
3. Challenge with clarity. If you can’t meet a deadline, propose one you can meet — then deliver.
4. Request Time Speak from others. Encourage colleagues, suppliers and partners to give you specifics. It raises the standard for everyone.

Final Word

That day at Blenheim Palace gave me a toolkit of skills. But Time Speak is the one I’ve carried into every role, every team, every project.

Because it’s more than a communication trick. It’s a behaviour — a way of being.

Do what you say you will. Tie your words to time. And then deliver.

That’s how you build trust. That’s how you communicate clearly and accurately. And that’s how you earn a reputation as someone people can rely on.