Going from the Ordinary to the Extraordinary

Doing what is expected, doing a good job, or getting complements doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re exceeding people’s expectations. It simply means that you’re doing your job.

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. If you do a good job for someone, will they always do business with you?
2. If you do a good job for someone, will they always tell others about you?

The answer to the above questions is a resounding no! Unless you’re exceeding people’s expectations in the relationships you’re developing, it is always possible for them to go elsewhere.

Here is an example from a Construction Project Manager. Let’s call him Phil. Phil is well liked and knows his job well. Whenever he has a construction project to estimate, no one seems to do a better job. He always builds the project for less then the budget allows.

Now ask yourself another question: Is Phil exceeding people’s expectations, or is he simply doing a great job? Or, from a cynical perspective, is it possible that Phil always over-budgets and just brings the project in for what it really took the company to build it?

Kind of gets you thinking, doesn’t it?

You see, even though Phil might think that he is exceeding his company’s expectations, he isn’t. He is just doing a great job and the company knows it.
In fact because Phil always comes in below budget, the company expects that Phil will do just that: come in below budget.

So what can we learn from this story? Consider this rule of thumb:

If others always expect that you’ll do a great job,
you’re probably not exceeding anyone’s expectations.
It’s when your doing things that are not expected
and doing a great jobrnthat you’re getting closer to exceeding others expectations.

This is what I mean. As individuals, we can't just sit back and expect that what we have been doing is enough. We need to find out what we can do to really make a difference.

Some with whom we relate will know what they want and need. These people will articulate their expectations when we ask the appropriate questions.

Most people, however, will not know how to answer the question “what can I do to far exceed your expectations?” We need to really dig deep into the relationships and question the real need that's building within their mind and their vision—raising their level of awareness of what is possible.