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
Strategic Futurist Marcus Barber will be kicking off proceedings at the 2008 Regional Produce Summit in Wangaratta on the 20th of October where he’ll detail some of the emerging issues likely to impact upon the tourism and food sector in the foreseeable future and suggest ways that businesses in the sector might be able to…
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