🏢Work-Life Wednesday: Under-Promise, Over-Deliver

Welcome to Work-Life Wednesday, where we deep-dive into leadership best practices to maximize your growth potential.

Good morning. Today’s newsletter is a test to see if my wife still reads these, because I’m going to reveal a secret about managing expectations that helps me in my marriage and work-life.

“Managing expectations” is the process of setting, communicating, and maintaining realistic expectations about a project, task, or situation. It's an essential skill in both your personal and professional lives, as it helps to align understanding and prevent disappointments or misunderstandings. But one piece of managing expectations has had the largest impact on me:

• Under-Promise, Over-Deliver: a strategic approach in managing expectations, often leading to increased satisfaction and trust.

Let’s discuss the different ways you can utilize “Under-Promise, Over-Deliver” to manage expectations in your work-life or life…life. OK, let’s get started.

⚠Remember, the key to what I’m about to show you is balance. Overdoing this approach can sometimes lead to diminished expectations over time, so it's important to maintain a realistic and sustainable level of performance.⚠

Conservative Estimates:

When setting deadlines or projecting outcomes, give yourself a buffer by estimating conservatively. This might mean adding extra time to deadlines or being cautious in predicting results. This allows room to impress by completing tasks ahead of schedule or exceeding targets.

My internal procrastinator loves this approach the most. By setting later deadlines or promising less widgets, the actual result is much sweeter.

Clear Understanding of Capabilities:

Know your limits and the limits of your team or resources. This understanding helps in setting realistic goals that are achievable yet not overly ambitious.

Avoid Overcommitment:

Resist the urge to say 'yes' to every request or opportunity. Overcommitting can lead to underperformance. Instead, commit to what you can confidently deliver and aim to exceed those commitments.

Quality Focus:

Prioritize the quality of work over quantity. Delivering work that exceeds expectations in quality often has a greater impact than simply meeting quantity targets.

Regular Communication:

Keep stakeholders informed about progress. Sometimes, simply knowing that work is on track can manage expectations effectively. Surprise them with early or additional positive results when possible.

Anticipate Needs:

Go beyond what is asked by anticipating additional needs or challenges. Addressing these proactively can demonstrate foresight and add value.

Personalization and Attention to Detail:

Pay attention to the details and customize your approach to the specific needs and preferences of the person or group for whom you're delivering. This personalized attention can often exceed expectations.

Continuous Improvement:

Always look for ways to improve your process, product, or service. This commitment to continuous improvement can lead to consistently exceeding expectations.

Reserve Resources for Contingencies:

Have a contingency plan or reserve resources to handle unexpected situations. This readiness allows you to handle challenges smoothly, which can be impressive.

Celebrate Success:

When you do overdeliver, celebrate and acknowledge it appropriately. This not only boosts morale but also reinforces the positive outcome.

_{Written by Bailey Hepler}