SEATTLE (July 11, 2012) — To help organizations consistently deliver on their promises and keep clients coming back, RealTime Performance and QuietSpacing offer a new white paper on setting and managing expectations for both customers and employees.
“Managing Expectations” is the latest in a series of white papers from RealTime Performance and QuietSpacing. The white paper explores how properly setting and managing expectations can help organizations be more productive and facilitate achieving their goals. The authors then share strategies for taking advantage of the power of this tool to make organizations productive and effective. This white paper is part of the series known as Bite-Sized Booklets, delivering easily digestible chunks of knowledge that increase leadership effectiveness.
“Setting an expectation is simple — telling another what will happen and when,” said Sean Murray, chief executive officer of RealTime Performance. “Yet, it’s a core element of success that has been lost in the modern world where everything is urgent. Taking a moment to consider what will happen and when, then communicating that to the others involved, will take us a long way towards regularly experiencing the satisfaction of meeting—if not exceeding— expectations.”
In order to stop playing what Murray, who co-authored the white paper, calls “workload Whack-A-Mole,” leaders must fundamentally embrace the idea that slowing down — just a little — at the right times can accelerate productivity and result in happier customers and less stress and burn-out for employees and their leaders. He and co-author Paul H. Burton, a principal at QuietSpacing, recommend a four-step plan for expectation management:
• Develop a processing method to categorize each request.
• Regularly survey the workload landscape and adjust expectations.
• Do not give or accept vague deadlines; “ASAP” means nothing.
• Eliminate the effects of constant mini-interruptions and distractions.
The white paper also details the strategic elements of setting and managing expectations, including how expectations reflect brand and how meeting or exceeding them builds the trust that creates long-term customer relationships.
“Managing Expectations” is available now for complimentary download.
About RealTime Performance
Founded in 1999, RealTime Performance delivers online training products to develop company leaders. The products enable companies to cost-effectively assess leadership skills, make targeted recommendations for performance improvement and empower employees to create and share development plans to achieve business goals. The company’s flagship Web-based training product, Inspire, provides a self-directed means for employees to manage their career development, giving them access to knowledge and skills at the “point of need.” For more information, visit http://www.realtimeperformance.com.
Contact:
Sean Murray
206.749.9000 x21
seanm(at)realtimeperformance(dot)com
Adriana Saldana
HRmarketer.com
831.722.9910
asaldana(at)hrmarketer(dot)com
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