As one who wishes to excel no matter your endeavor, it is vital that you clarify expectations upon hearing or receiving anything that may be unclear. Numerous invitations arrive each week in various ways, including joining a group, contributing to a project, and attending webinars. On the one hand, we don’t want to offend anyone by declining the invitation, but on the other, our time can be consumed, thereby preventing advances on our end.
My Story:
Upon being invited into groups, I always inquire about the vision for where it may head. The second question is how the leader of the group sees my participation. Previously, I wrote about the need for remaining loyal to our two P’s – passion and purpose; without doing so, we accomplish little. Giving way to the requests of others without considering our unique goals leaves little room for accomplishment.
“The only person who can ultimately derail our goals is ourselves.
Frequently, I lay out the reason for a nightly review of what we accomplished during the day and what we plan to do the next. We often get side-lined with ‘have-to-dos,’ which can have us lose focus regarding our priorities. By keeping our goals and projects in mind, it becomes easier to accept or decline new offers.
The next qualifier as I clarify expectations is whether the suggestion aligns with the work I am doing. Long ago, I learned that consistency is everything for building a trusted brand, and one deviation can damage everything we have accomplished to date. Not everyone strikes a chord with their intuition, but on occasion, ‘something’ will tell me not to proceed, and I heed that thought.
Last, the all-time best qualifier for doing business with another is their honesty. Today’s inquiry about an apparent time-killing request received the all-time best answer! The person relayed that others requested that she use a particular software; my concern was that it appears exceptionally time-consuming.
Her response was, ‘I agree with you!’ Even better, the person relayed that she will keep me in mind for future opportunities as she enjoys working together. It’s a mutual arrangement and one that I look forward to for the long term. It is always best that you and I clarify expectations!
