Managing and setting realistic expectations at work can drive success, enhance productivity, and help you stand out positively in your career
How do you expect others to treat you?
What do you expect from your job, your co-workers, customers, friends, and family?
What do they expect from you?
What do you expect when it comes to your health, financial security, and potential for success?
Never underestimate the power of expectations.
Understanding, managing, and creating realistic expectations are vital to success in all areas of your life.
How are expectations created?
Unfortunately, many expectations are based on feelings, desires, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and wishful thinking, instead of a rational look at facts and figures, what works and what doesn’t, or what’s realistic and what isn’t.
On the other hand, reasonable and challenging expectations are great standards for measuring levels of success and productivity.
They set the tone for best practices, innovative products, and amazing new developments.
So, the BIG question is . . .
What are you expected to do on the job in order to
STANDOUT FROM THE CROWD
in a positive way?
To answer that question, you must first take an honest look at how you’re perceived by leadership, co-workers, and customers when it comes to
THE FOLLOWING SIX AREAS.
They all play a crucial role in how you perform the job you’re expected to do and how you’re perceived by others in your workplace.
1. Expect positive outcomes.
Your attitude is a reflection of your ideas, perceptions, and beliefs. Through your tone of voice, conversation, gestures, responses, and behaviors, you are sharing your innermost thoughts with everyone around you. Since attitudes are contagious, you have a responsibility to be aware of the power your attitude may have on others. A positive attitude is vital in today’s workplace, because a negative attitude affects both morale and productivity. Negativity and mediocrity have no place in a successful workplace.
2. Expect confident communication.
Today, everyone is in sales. Knowing how to sell yourself, your ideas, your products and services, your passion for continuous growth, and your belief in your company are vital parts of every employee’s job description. The concept of selling always begins with the ability to communicate in a confident and knowledgeable way. Texting and e-mailing are easy and efficient, and are often the exact right way to go. Electronic communication can often be your best bet, especially when communicating with younger people. So stay up to speed on the latest communication platforms. However, never underestimate the power of face-to-face communication. A face-to-face discussion fosters clarity and deeper understanding. And spending real time with another person naturally strengthens your relationship.
3. Expect to keep your skills current.
Your job requirements may change in a flash, so you must be ready for whatever comes next. It’s amazing how few employees take advantage of free, in-house education and the opportunity to upgrade their skills, though they are surrounded by ambitious and focused colleagues. Think about it. If your organization is offering training in a certain skill area, maybe they know something you don’t, like what skills they’ll be looking for in the near future!
4. Expect to pay your dues.
All of a sudden everyone wants everything now – raises, bonuses, promotions, and a job they love!
News flash! Those benefits are earned over time through commitment, dedication, determination, and hard work. There should be rewards for a job not simply well done, but done amazingly well and that far exceeds expectations!
5. Expect that no one will tell you what to do.
No one has the time to make sure you’re doing your job. Look around. See what needs to be done and do it! Be creative. What ideas do you have that could save time and money? Have you acquired new skills? Are you more efficient? You must be independent, confident in your choices and decisions, and able to move on them, taking a risk now and then. Equally important, you must also know when to share knowledge, work as part of a team, listen to others, and look for opportunities to build consensus.
6. Expect the best use of your time at work.
It’s easy to get off track and find time racing by, especially when three people are doing the work of four with fewer resources and less money. But that is the reality of most workplaces today. So what is the answer? Be creative when it comes to figuring out how to make every second count. Most employees admit to us that a lot of time is wasted throughout the day, much of it simply looking at all the work and worrying about how it will all get done. Just start somewhere. Pick a place, begin, and take it one step at a time. There is no doubt employees who can creatively juggle hectic schedules, demands, and deadlines are in high demand.
Recommended reading: Forget Perfection
Recommended reading: The Science of Expectations
Make sure that employee is you!
Expect the best from yourself, and others will expect you to be the best, too. That’s how your expectations help you StandOUT from the crowd!
Ready to share with YOUR organization the top StandOUT strategies for today’s changing world? Let’s talk! You can reach me at (945) 284-0225 or via email at connie@conniepodesta.com.
