January 21, 2021,

Should you always venture into an unknown situation with lower expectations so that you exit without being disappointed?

We suppose that is one way to live life.

But is it the best way? Especially when it comes to the expectations for yourself? If we do, then we run the risk of living down to them or heaven forbid, below them.

In these trying times filled with a myriad of challenges, wouldn’t you agree we need to increase our efforts and aim high to exceed expectations?

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A friend in our circle is greatly disappointed with her life at middle age because when she was young, she followed an organized religion and put their needs first and her needs a distant second. As a result, she raised her expectations in terms of what she was willing to do for them and lowered her own personal expectations of herself.

She’s now disappointed because, as she analyzes her life, she lived down to those lower expectations.

Possibly below.

Definitely below.

It’s really tough for her to accept that because there is nothing she can now do to change that.

Or so she thinks. We don't agree. There is still time.

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She worked for a company for over 20 years. That’s done, but if she had to start her career over, while she was young, she would absolutely raise her expectations.

Our thinking is to keep your expectations high and then try and exceed them.

We love film and when it comes to independent European films, we have high expectations and you know what?

They almost always exceed them.

Kidnapping Stella is one of them.

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Kidnapping Stella is a 2019 German thriller film directed and written by Thomas Sieben, and is a remake of the 2009 British thriller The Disappearance of Alice Creed.

At netflix.com they highlight, “Snatched off the street and held for ransom, a bound and gagged woman uses her limited powers to derail her two masked abductors' carefully laid plans.”

It stars Max von der Groeben, Jella Haase and Clemens Schick.

Our heroine was truly in a bad way but it was her silent ingenuity that kept her alive and kept her kidnappers off guard. She did it in ways that you would probably not expect.

That was the fun of it.

It was a true cat and mouse game all the way with last second escapes.

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The film far exceeded our expectations.

When it comes to setting expectations for ourselves, sometimes we need a little guidance. How do we navigate the balancing act between setting the goals too high or very low?

There is a book that might be helpful.

The author’s names are Tricia Berry and Danielle Forget Shield.

Exceeds Expectations - Take Control of Your Performance Review

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“From the 16-year-old wading through a first job to the seasoned executive nearing retirement, we are all continually being evaluated or rated on our performance and our actions. Exceeds Expectations shows YOU how to drive the performance review process to achieve YOUR vision of success. You can achieve immediate rewards such as performance feedback, enhanced job satisfaction, or a clearer personal vision for success. Or you may receive the bonus, raise or promotion you deserve. When you manage expectations, accomplishments and communication throughout the year, you maximize success in your performance review process.

Exceeds Expectations is a step-by-step process, filled with examples, exercises and personal stories that result in your Performance Review Action Plan. Your personal strategy is designed to guide you to Exceed Expectations in both your performance review and your career. Exceeds Expectations describes a proven method developed by Tricia Berry and Danielle Forget Shield after helping each other evaluate what they suddenly weren't doing right in their respective workplaces.

After years of Exceeds Expectations on their performance reviews, both were surprised when Needs Improvement and No Information appeared for some of their respective job responsibilities. Quickly realizing what needed to be improved, they joined forces and created a strategic process designed for performance review and career success.”

Sounds well-researched and thought provoking.

We like to approach the same subject from differing point of views.

The following are ideas on exceeding expectations from a visiting female writer.

Please meet Lisa Ryan.

Lisa Ryan is the Chief Appreciation Strategist with Grategy, a company founded on the principles of leveraging the power of gratitude in business and in life. Utilizing 20+ years of sales, marketing, and training experience, As an employee engagement keynote speaker, Lisa helps companies keep their best customers and top talent from becoming someone else's. She does this by training individuals, teams and organizations the importance of appreciation in creating stronger relationships, and becoming healthier, happier and having a lot more fun in life.

Lisa is the author of ten books, including: "Manufacturing Engagement: 98 Proven Strategies to Attract and Retain Your Industry's Top Talent," The Upside of Down Times: Discovering the Power of Gratitude," "From Afraid to Speak to Paid to Speak: How Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety Boosts Your Confidence and Career," and "The Verbal Hug." She is featured in two movies: the award-winning "The Keeper of the Keys" with Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul), John Gray (Men are From Mars/Women are From Venus), and Marci Shimoff (Happy for No Reason and "The Gratitude Experiment" with Bob Proctor, Dr. John DeMartini and Mary Morrissey.

Okay, try to sit back, read and comprehend.

Defining Expectations Leads to Productivity Acceleration

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When employees know what their managers expect from them, they are more likely to feel connected to their employers. This is one of the findings of the Gallup Q12, a survey that measures twelve key expectations employees need to feel engaged at work. Gallup discovered that, "engagement scores reveal that those with high Q12 scores exhibit lower turnover, higher sales growth, better productivity, better customer loyalty and other manifestations of superior performance." (1)

To see how the Q12 works in the "real world," we posted each of the twelve questions on social media sites and analyzed the results. In this series of articles, you'll discover why employee engagement matters.

Q12, question number one, "Do you know what is expected of you at work?"

Ellen, an Executive Director at a local college, was in charge of her institution's training department. Because she was left to her own devices, she often questioned whether top management noticed her efforts. Ellen received her answer during an executive meeting when her supervisor told her that the organization was launching a brand new service model. They invited Ellen to be in charge of the training effort, and flew her to a three-day seminar on Exceptional Service. Ellen shared, "I learned more in that program than in all the workshops and seminars I had ever attended, and was able to help launch an incredible service model that is in use to this day. My employer invested in me, and it made all the difference."

Why did this work? Ellen's employer not only invested in her by sending her to training, they also allowed her to use her skills, knowledge and talents in a new way. When management set high expectations for her, they boosted her confidence level. This new role also gave her the opportunity to take on more responsibility and in so doing created a win/win situation - the company gained a more versatile employee as well as a successful new service model for the company, and Ellen realized that management noticed and appreciated her efforts.

Author, speaker and journalist, Caitlin, began her career as a reporter for a large, national daily paper. Being in such a tough and competitive environment, Caitlin realized that making the front page was like climbing Mount Everest. She achieved the pinnacle of her professional pursuits when one of her articles finally made it to the coveted front-page spot. Soon afterwards, Caitlin received a one-word, hand-written note from her managing editor that simply said, 'Magnificent.' Although this happened decades ago, Caitlin shares, "It made me feel deeply grateful that I could cut it at that level and that someone with such high standards liked my work. I was lucky that he was emotionally generous enough to share that praise with me. I still have that note and treasure it. Praise is very rare in my business."

Why did this work? The key point in this story is that an event that happened decades ago was still having such a profound impact. The transformational moment in Caitlin's career happened with a single word, 'Magnificent'. Although it is expected in the publishing world for reporters to give their very best effort on each article, it's important to acknowledge that these efforts are being done by people who thrive on encouragement from their superiors. It's critical to catch your staff doing things right and to recognize them with sincere words of praise.

When employees have a clear understanding of what management expects from them at work, they excel. Investing in training and providing accurate job descriptions, are key components to meeting and exceeding expectations in the organization. When you let your employees do what they do well, and take the time to give them honest and sincere praise for their efforts, you will have a more productive, happy and engaged staff.