Promises
A promise is something someone committed to: "I'll send you the architecture guidelines", "I'll write the proposal by Friday". CadenceOne tracks promises in both directions, because the ones managers forget are usually their own.
Where promises come from
- In meeting mode, with + Promise (the team member's) or + My promise (yours). See Meeting mode.
- From the Promises section, with New promise in the toolbar, or ⌥⌘N from anywhere.
Adding a promise
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Title | Required. What was promised. |
| Owner | My commitment (the default), A team member, or Other. |
| Related team member | The person this promise is about. |
| Set a due date | Optional. Turn it on to pick a date. |
Click Add, or press Return.
When a promise is overdue
A promise is overdue when it is still open and its due date has passed. A promise without a due date is never overdue.
Overdue promises show up in several places: the red count in the sidebar, the Broken promises card on Today, the red flag on a meeting card, and the What you owe card on a person's page. You can also show the count on the Dock icon, from Settings ▸ General.
The Promises section
Filters
| Filter | Shows |
|---|---|
| Overdue | Open promises past their due date. This is the default. |
| My promises | Open promises you own. |
| Their promises | Open promises owned by a team member. |
| No due date | Open promises without a date. |
| Completed | Promises marked done. |
| All promises | Everything. |
Under the filters, Median delay shows how late you typically deliver your own promises, over the last 90 days. A promise delivered early counts as zero.
The header
The header sums up who is behind: how many overdue promises are yours and how many are theirs, and how many were kept in the last 90 days.
The reliability card shows the kept rate over the last 90 days, split between promises delivered on time, kept late, and still open past their date.
One card per person
Promises are grouped by person, the most late first. Each card shows how many promises are late and open, and how long since your last 1-to-1. Tags point out what to do:
- Worst debt: the person with the most overdue promises, when there are at least two.
- Raise tomorrow: your next 1-to-1 with them is less than 48 hours away.
- Ready to close: only their promises remain open, none of yours.
When everything is settled with someone, a green line says nothing is owed either way.
Acting on a promise
- Mark as done: click the circle. Click it again to reopen the promise.
- Delete: right-click the promise.
- Move all to next 1-to-1: on a person's card, sets the due date of their open promises to the date of your next scheduled 1-to-1 with them. It applies to the promises visible under the current filter. If nothing is scheduled, nothing moves.
The same move exists for every overdue promise at once, from the Broken promises card on Today.
Written for CadenceOne 1.0.1 on macOS. Last checked 2026-09-14. Something unclear or out of date? Tell us.