Set Expectations

Meeting or exceeding expectations is much more difficult if you haven’t set expectations first.

 

There are many ways to set expectations. Some are prescriptive, and others are philosophical. Each has its time and place, and the people involved matter.

 

At Target, the boss walked me around the store one hour into the job. He showed me three things that, if I didn’t have right, would get me fired:

 

  1. Ensure the paper towel end cap is never empty.

  2. Ensure the toilet paper end cap is never empty.

  3. Ensure there are never long lines at checkout.

 

They weren’t massive goals or crazy expectations but unmistakable and crystal clear. Every person in the building knew those expectations, making it very easy to know what we needed to do.

 

One takeaway:

You cannot beat expectations that are not set.

Kjiel Carlson