If I had to describe in one word what the difference is between deals and projects that have gone well and those that did not go as well as we would like, that word would be "expectations."
Typically, projects that we come behind to clean-up or even just assess suffer greatly from unmet expectations. In many cases, each party involved had different expectations at the start and the difference often grows over time.
When you have clients, staff and even management that is not an expert on the details of the deal or project, they often assume things that no one else involved has any idea about. And when these "hidden assumptions" don't come to pass, people become disappointed and upset.
The fact that no one else involved had any idea is irrelevant. It has become an emotional let-down and then an emotional challenge to the success of the project.
For example...
A prospective first-time home buyer assumes that all window treatments will remain with the house but has not asked. It is not noted in the contract. On the closing day walk-through, the window treatments are gone and they are upset. Everyone else is surprised and thinks the buyer is just being difficult.
Or..
A woman hires the same movers she used a year ago. The movers work by the hour. The weather is very bad. The woman complains they are taking longer than the prior year. Then she is upset the total price is higher than the year before when the moving company had a special deal. The woman had just assumed the price was the same and had not verified it. The moving company had quoted a per-hour price but not a new estimated full price.
She feels ripped off and the moving company feels they did extra work in bad weather to care for her property at the standard rate. All started with assumptions and thus different expectations. In the end no one is happy.
Granted there are some people that will not adjust their expectations no matter how well and often you communicate. They either won't listen or are simply used to getting their way through a variety of means and actions. However, if you are paying attention early and communicating clearly, you can often spot these people before your deal is too involved and avoid them. Let your competition have these clients.
So what is the take away from this? Don't assume. Set expectations early and explicitly. Keep everyone informed of what you expect and ask what they are expecting. When there is a problem or even just a problem with expectations, address it before it grows. Communicate to succeed, not to hide problems.
Expectations are critical. Clear, explicit communications are the key to keeping the expectations of all in balance.
