Expectations! That is the word.
This post is about exceeding expectations. I read it in Entrepreneur and it made me think about this very concept.
How often have you had a highly positive experience after purchasing a product or using a service? It occurred to me after reading this article that it or the individual exceeded my expectations.
You can think of numerous examples of expectations either exceeded or not. A few that come to mind is a meal at a restaurant (see article), watching a movie, returning an item to a store, a haircut, trying a new dish, flying, or an experience with a customer service staffer.
All of these (and many more) reflect that we generally have predetermined expectations. When it is less, we are disappointed. When it is met, we are pleased, but nothing to brag about to other. However, when it is exceeded, we talk very positively about it to our friends and others.
I do not believe I consciously thought about this in these terms as is applied to my career, but I think I do. And so do others.
If you ask most people to relate their experience to a government agency, it is probably one of two departments: motor vehicles and revenue. And that experience likely leads to very low expectations (mainly because you do not want to be at either one in the first place). And how many jokes have you heard about going to get a driver's license, the process of getting a license, and the motor vehicle department staff.
Allow me to offer an example of one government employee who likely exceeds expectations with every customer. In my suite I can hear interactions of county government employees with the public. One individual in particular comes to mind. I hear her bright and sunny greeting to each customer who approaches her counter with a land use issue. So just think about every customer who gets an enthusiastic greeting from a government employee, more than likely expectations have been exceeded right off the mark. She also is very well informed.
In my case, I look at the businesses and citizens that I serve (and I do mean serve) as clients. If my expertise or knowledge of a particular resource can help clients avoid a pain point, than it is worth the extra effort. A couple of examples. I would find programs or initiatives of interest and send them to appropriate businesses. But I would craft an email (with careful formatting) that contains key points like a summary of the program, milestones, criteria, link, etc. It is far easy to just send the program title and a link (thus meeting expectations) or making it far easier for my clients to glean the most relevant data and then decide if going to the program is worth the trouble (exceeding expectations).
A second example is my most recent task. Agribusiness is growing in the County, but the permitting process is a challenge. I was asked to prepare a flowchart of the County permitting process for a new agribusiness venture. The first flowchart is for an alcohol manufacturing facility (winery, brewery, or distillery) on a farm. I could have done just the County process, but I chose to add federal and state permits too. Why? My clients will benefit from understanding the entire permitting process. Without consciously thinking about it, I tried to exceed the expectations of my boss and my customers.
You may already do this, but you just do not look at it from this perspective.
Enjoy the article and I hope it makes you think about your career.
Link to article: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/344385
