What to expect
Mud.
There is more mud around my home than I thought possible. It is everywhere. And, it is the sort of cloggy mud you can't scrape off your shoes (or you might lose your shoe in!)
We are mid-landscaping at our home. The crew working on the project have been great. A bunch of young lads putting in solid shifts and moving the job at a noticeable pace.
But, I have found myself needing to ask a lot of questions. When will the posts be put in? Why are those holes dug at that length? When will we be selecting plants? All of these questions have been asked (and many more) even though the supervisor has communicated with us most mornings when they start, most evenings before they leave and whenever needed throughout the day. Yet, there are still holes in what we see as a client. This is far from a disaster but it does have implications:
ANXIETY - We find ourselves being nervous about things being done that cannot be undone, and if our wants/needs have been conveyed between each of them. And, if the result will be what we hoped
NEEDLESSNESS - We ask questions that they have thought about and are all over (ie. there was no need to ask the question)
IRRITATION - We find ourselves (possibly) straining the patience of the crew because we are constantly asking questions which must get boring/annoying/tedious
NONSENSE - Any other weird and wonderful internal thoughts/perceptions between every person involved
I observe a lot of this in my own work and that of the people I work with (especially in leadership and sales functions). In my case, people ask me to do a training workshop or speak at an event. They have a need, I have a program, and then we set a date to deliver the program. Simple, right?
Wrong. There are almost infinite details and logistics to nut out with every single client engagement we have. From the room set up, to the customisation of the content, to the communication to attendees, to the after-delivery care. I love how Adam Grant (Organisational Psychologist) puts it, "god is in the detail".
To help navigate through all of this, Sam, my wonderful assistant devised a 'What to Expect' email. This is sent to the sponsor (main point of contact for a client engagement) and sets out all the steps, the things we need from them, the emails they'll receive. The email indicates a timeline of comms, actions, and events for the whole experience, most of which the participants in a program will not see...
As with a theatre production, 90% of the work is backstage and unseen.
The idea is to answer all the questions a client may be anxious about before they ask them. It will never cover every questions that may pop up. But, it gives a baseline of expectation and prepares the client for what will come, what we need from them, and how the experience will unfold. It truly is a partnership, and a program can only go well if the client holds up their end of the bargain (this is the same with any business transaction or interaction).
The brilliant and deeply knowledgeable STEM leadership expert and mentor, David Wayne calls this 'setting up the shot'. A basketball team runs a play to set up the shooter for an open shot. A sniper sets up their rifle stand, scope, and posture for an accurate shot. A golfer decides on the target, ball-carry and club before setting their stance and grip before taking the shot.
We can all benefit from setting up the shot before we meet with people. Before we launch into 'the work'. Before we run a project.
In my case, a simple 'what to expect' email is doing the heavy lifting for us (and removing a lot of back 'n' forth and client anxiety. We ask a lot of our clients as we are not transactional in any work we do.
But, by communicating in a way to set expectation and give reassurance of the process, we 'set up the shot' for a clear, collaborative, and precise client experience.
I feel we can all have our version of this. From sales people, to business leaders, to technical experts, to Landscapers! Then we have the best chance possible to enjoy the experience - mud and all!
