positive and negative aspects of what happens when you do manage expectations and don't manage expectations.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

What are we doing today after breakfast?

My wife has to manage the expectations of our 3+ year old everyday. There's three critical times of day that she has to do this:

In the morning (right after she eats her "banilla" yogurt) the question is posed, "what are we doing after breakfast?" and Kathy responds with one of two things, "We are going to _______ to play" or "I don't know, what would you like to do?". Immediately there's a positive response from our daughter because Mary's expectation has been met one of two ways. The same thing always happens right after naps and also right before bed. Day in, day out. Without fail.

If you think about different people you have to encounter on a daily basis and your typical interactions with them, think about how you can meet/manage or exceed their expectations. Think about the pain points that could happen throughout your day and where you could set aside some simple reminders to help with this.

If your meeting the expectations of others around you your day will generally go well.