What happens when expectations are not met?
Every first day of school since the kids were very little, we started the tradition on the morning of the first day of school to “have anything you want for breakfast, and I mean anything.” The things the kids thought of were quite impressive. Here are my top favorites:
1. A tomahawk steak and smoothie from my son’s favorite restaurant
2. Ice cream sundae’s (popular choice)
3. Madeline cookies from Starbucks and a sugar bomb of a Frappuccino
It was a fun, little expectation that I had set for the kids, and one in which both parties were happy to partake in. Then high school started for my son, and breakfasts were no longer something he was interested in. My daughter on the other hand, still loved the tradition of the breakfast and was fully expecting it this year before she went off to high school…now we get to the part of failing to meet expectations.
I bought the watermelon that she had requested, even the lemons to squeeze on top of it. What I didn’t quite get my act together on were the crêpes that were also requested. The fact was the morning was a mad dash to get out the door. I’m surprised I even stopped to notice the look of disappontment in my daughter’s face as she sat with her meager bowl of watermelon.
Of course, I felt horrible for not living up to the expectations that I had set. She said it was fine, but I know it really wasn’t. Fast-forward a few days later and I’m thinking about expectations in general and what happens when we fail to meet expectations.
With our clients, they too will call you out when you do not meet expectations. They might even say “it’s OK, no problem”. Thinking back, it would’ve been much better if I had told my daughter that I didn’t actually get the ingredients for the crêpes and let’s try to figure out something else. Working with clients, it’s always a better outcome when you see something is off track and suggest to work on alternatives.
Transparency and collaboration always come out ahead. Next year, I’m suggesting pancakes as a base, and there’s always next year for that Mom of the Year award 🥇#leadership #expectations #MomoftheYearrunnerup
production controller at Delta Technology
2moGreat to see Delta is still giving back..thanks for sharing your pictures brings back great memories