Last week, I hosted rock legend Gene Simmons at our Producers Club meeting to interview him onstage. Let’s just say it was not a typical interview.
Many asked me if any of the things that happened were planned. They were not, including him leaving the stage to wander into the audience and talk about (legally) saving money on taxes and him auctioning off his watch for St. Jude. Many asked if I was frustrated by this behavior. I was not.
That’s because I know a little about Gene and have talked with him before, watched him onstage and prepped with him for this event (or at least I prepped). My expectations were NOT that it would be a standard interview, and I didn’t have any requirements other than 1) he shows up on time, 2) he signs the auction items for St. Jude, and 3) he does photos with the audience. So, all my requirements were met. I’ll add that he was very easy to work with and very down to earth.
But to the point, the longer I’m in business, the more I’ve come to realize the difference between expectation and requirements and draw the line accordingly.
Expectations are a hope as to how you expect something to happen. My expectations for my business in 2025 are that sales will continue to increase, we’ll continually improve our service delivery and the memberships will continue to thrive, despite what the economy is doing or who ends up in the Oval Office come January.
I also expect that many things will go wrong along the way, people will screw up and need to be fired, competition will increase and we’ll have to stay super-diligent on generating leads and producing sales since I expect 2025 to be a flat year for economic growth.
But when it comes to certain aspects of running my business, I have more than expectations – I have REQUIREMENTS.
I require employees and clients to respect my time by showing up prepared and on time for meetings. I require my leadership team to match my effort to deliver the results and focus on excellence. I require my vendors to keep their word and deliver on time. I require my team to be honest and ethical in all things. I require that they sharpen their skills and follow the processes we have outlined.
Of course, we all get what we tolerate (require), not what we expect. An employee given a detailed job description and scorecard is a good start. But if that’s all you do, you’re setting yourself up for BIG disappointments if you aren’t in a perpetual state of training, inspection and improvements on their performance. Yes, some are total “A” players needing very little training and management, but those are few and far between.
The next time you’re frustrated with a vendor, employee, client or anyone else in your business, ask yourself if you are EXPECTING too much from them, or expecting them to do something you know, deep down, they are unwilling or unable to do – and if so, you need to change the “who” to someone who can and will deliver to your requirements. Whether they “should” be able to do it or “should” just do it because you’re paying them is irrelevant.
Find someone who can and will meet your requirements, and your entire business will change for the better.
Hold your team to higher standards by celebrating those who’ve set the bar. Join us on December 4 in Beverly Hills for the Titans of the Industry Gala, where we’ll honor the MSPs who exemplify excellence. Don’t miss this exclusive evening with special guests Jay Leno and Magic Johnson. Reserve your ticket now!