To Manage Your Expectations, First You Need to Know What They Are
We all use words that tell us about the results that were achieved and whether our expectations were met, missed or exceeded. Surprised? Disappointed? Delighted? The only way you can experience these emotions and others like them, is to have an expectation in mind. And the ONLY way you can teach your organisation to learn from the future, is to first, identify what your expectations are…
And WHY those expectations exist.
But too often inside organisational settings, expectations are identified AFTER the fact, and frankly, that is little more than throwing a handful of ‘hope dust’ into the wind and letting your future land where it may.
Knowing what your expectations are in advance encourages/forces you to be accountable. Being able to show WHY those expectations are valid depends on the extent to which you have questioned your assumptions and the information you have relied upon to form them.
Managing your expectations and taking control of your future means knowing what they are and why. Organisations MUST actively scan the environment around them for early signs of change. If all you do is rely on ‘trend’ reports, you are ALREADY LATE to dealing with how the world may be unfolding. Significantly relying on trends gives you just one choice – join it or miss out. But what if the trend is not where you want to go? Well, sadly your unstated expectation(s) will not be met. Too often relying on someone else’s ‘trend’ is handing control of your future over to someone else
Which means the options are ‘Be Controlled’ or ‘Take Control’. You Decide.
I’d suggest that controlling your future is a preferable path for many – know what your expectations, and why, by testing your assumptions and your information sources. Only then can you begin to manage your future. Best of luck
Will alcohol have a legitimate place in societies in the years to come? As we slowly awaken to the horrendous impact of alcohol related harm and it’s social and financial costs, will Australia’s widely held acceptance of alcohol consumption begin to wane? This MP3 of my chat with Vicki Kerrigan on ABC Darwin drew…
Read More >Well as I’ve discovered them! These three questions (and my normal answers) are based on what I get asked consistently when I’m presenting or facilitating a session about Strategic Planning, ‘the future of…’, and how societies might look five, ten or twenty years from now: Question One – ‘What is the most important thing to…
Read More >Every now and again what sounds like a really good idea turns out to be less beneficial than what was hoped for. Strategic Futurist Marcus Barber wonders whether or not the Victorian Government’s ‘4 Minute Shower’ idea is a current example? For those of you that have read my paper ‘A Drop in the Ocean’…
Read More >There’s a lot to like about Mars. For centuries the name given to the Roman God of War (in honour of its blood stained hue) it has given us an opportunity and point of focus to think beyond our own planet. There’s been some vast mythologies about the deep channels (interpreted as canals meant signs…
Read More >Most everything. The various papers, presentations, radio interviews, magazine articles, books and newspaper references have been reformatted in alphabetical order for easier access. Click on the ‘Future Of…’ tab and find what you are looking for under the headings listed, with links to each relevant item. You’ll find the future of Australia, food, technology,…
Read More >I came up with the term Enoughness in late 2008, and early 2009 as a result of some research I was assessing looking at emerging consumer behaviour. The manufacturing companies I presented to at the South East Business Networks session on Managing a Diverse Workplace discovered, Enoughness was a very different approach to the idea…
Read More >Business Insider has a story today of 7 jobs you’ve never heard of and why they’re awesome which is delightfully amusing for two reasons: One – ‘Futurist’ makes the list at number 7; and Two – I’ve been employed in full time futures for over a decade (and part time for about ten years before…
Read More >In this article on the LifeBoat Foundation’s website, Laurence Baines discusses the loss of languages around the world and the increasing shift toward the major five tongues. From a futures perspective we appreciate that a language often contains within it, a way of knowing that is missing in someone who may have learned to speak…
Read More >Few books (and a subsequent film) influenced my desire for knowledge in the way that Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 did. The black and white film adaptation still holds much in my memory almost 30 years later. As a youngster I’d sat up late and seen original The War of the Worlds on TV and a few…
Read More >Ah well, you’d be surprised at how easy it is for someone to steal a piece of you! This info-graphic from Veracode explains in more detail some of the actions you can take and things to be aware of when using WiFi You can go stright to the InfoGraphic and
Read More >