I was speaking with my good friend Tom not long ago, and he said something to me that really resonated. Tom is a business owner, and the definition of a “straight shooter”. He doesn’t tolerate people who waste his time or who don’t deliver as promised… and he is not afraid to say so. We were speaking about a few things on the phone, and he shared a story of a contractor he was working with who never, ever seemed to be able to meet a deadline. And Tom’s point to me was simple… “Just manage my expectations.”
Expectations and perceptions matter in business. And in many cases, perception matters just as much as reality. Our ability to manage expectations and perceptions will contribute directly to our credibility as a professional or business owner. People want to work with professionals who simply deliver what they say they will deliver. We respect people who do a good job, of course. But we respect even more those who do good work AND and who manage expectations. If a deadline needs to be missed, so be it. For most people this is not a problem, as long as there is clear communication.
People hate working with people who just cannot ever deliver what was promised, in the time frame it was promised. If you develop a reputation as someone who never finishes things on time, or who always promises the unrealistic and then always disappoints, you will be constantly chipping away at your own credibility. And eventually that will hurt you in many ways. It could cost you a job or a promotion or a project lead. It could hurt sales. It could prevent you from getting the resources you need for your team of your project. A loss of credibility is like playing the house in blackjack. You may get ahead for a little while, but eventually the house always wins. You need your credibility if you want to accomplish anything in the professional world. And it is hard to have any credibility if you always disappoint and don’t communicate.
We’re focused on simple ideas this week at The Latimer Group. And on a beautiful September day, we’re thinking about honest communication that manages expectations. And we’re encouraging you to think about being a professional who not only does good work, and who delivers as promised, AND who communicates clearly and proactively when that becomes impossible.
Think about how powerful that would be for your professional brand.
Have a great day.
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Does your team:
– Overwhelm the audience with too much detail?
– Make things too complicated?
– Fail to ask for what they want or need?
Does your organization:
– Waste time because of poor internal communication?
– Take too long to make decisions?
– Struggle to clarify and frame discussions?
Do your leaders:
– Exhibit poor executive presence?
– Lean on incomplete communication skills?
– Fail to align the organization?
We transform teams and individuals with repeatable toolsets for persuasive communication. Explore training, coaching, and consulting services from The Latimer Group.
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