Why it is important to honor commitments in an interview

Jordan Spieth had an important question to ask himself after winning the U.S. Open last month - do I honor my commitment to a small-town tournament in Iowa or prepare to win the Open Championship overseas and try to win three major tournaments in a row?  It didn't take him long to make his decision as he called the tournament director at the John Deere Classic the same day he won the U.S. Open to see if they could arrange a chartered flight from the Quad Cities to St. Andrews.  Once they said yes, he committed to coming to their tournament the week before.

I don't know about you, but the idea of playing in humid Iowa conditions this week (triple digit heat index and 100% humidity) does not sound like a good tune-up to traveling six times zones over to another continent to play in grueling conditions for the Open Championship.  Not only did he do it, but he won the whole darn thing in a two-hole playoff.  Talk about making the most of the opportunity afforded him!

I had something similar happen to a candidate recently, and we actually see if quite often.  They had multiple interviews lined up, one company really got aggressive and extended an offer earlier than expected, and unfortunately it wasn't the candidate's first choice.  This individual decided to go with the philosophy of one in the hand vs. two in the bush and accept the offer.  Another company continued to pursue a conversation, this person said yes, and ended up with another offer.  Both were attractive offers, and a tough decision had to be made.  The idea of honoring the first commitment was the prevailing thought.

While disappointed, everyone understood and respected the decision for a few reasons.  The first is that it was clearly communicated to everyone what the circumstances were.  Had something been omitted or hidden from the conversation, it might have come to a different conclusion.  But because everyone knew the rules of engagement, the door is now open down the road for the second company to consider this candidate again for employment opportunities.

Secondly, timing came into play as an important determining factor.  One company clearly seized an opportunity, moved quickly, and was chosen because of it.  No one would have blamed Jordan if he had cancelled his appearance at the John Deere Classic because of the proximity in timing to the Open Championship.  But because there was a window of time that worked, he took advantage.  The candidate in my example had enough time to consider both opportunities, but was really forced to make a decision quickly.  Because of that everyone involved was able to process the fact that the company that moved quickly and first was expecting an answer and firm commitment quickly.

Lastly, there is a balance between long term and short term goals.  Sure it would have been a lasting legacy for Jordan's career if he had won the first three majors of the year and given himself a chance at a calendar grand slam.  But he also knows at 21 years of age that he has plenty more opportunities to win.  And he wanted to do things right in his golf career from very early on.  Similarly, this candidate will be able to keep in touch with the second employer because of the way the situation was handled.  The first offer was a good one, will be a good career opportunity, but future conversations with the second company will always be a possibility.  That is a win, win in my book.

Have you ever had a situation where someone did NOT honor a commitment to interview or accept an offer?  How did you feel about that afterward?