December 8, 2024

Corporate CoDriver: What’s the greatest cause of frustration? Expectations!

Princess Kissing FrogI was with clients this past weekend in a workshop setting.  And a point was made by the presenter that sometimes in order to get what we want we have to do some uncomfortable things.  (To find your prince charming sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs!).

A fellow observer leaned over to me and whispered “why is it that we have to do uncomfortable stuff to move forward?”

And a chain of thoughts started that resulted in a conversation that lasted two days.

I’m a firm believer that we cannot manage results.  We can only manage the processes that develop results.  If we’re not getting the results we want (perhaps even our BHAG), then changing the processes is in order.

This is not Rocket Surgery.  Yet we sometimes bypass this logic with emotions like “hope” and “crossed fingers.”  Sales people do busy work instead of picking up the phone and prospecting.  Golfers bemoan their 30 handicap yet play the game 5 times a year and haven’t seen a Pro since their college days.  What’s your struggle?  What are your processes?

What gets in the way of executing the “uncomfortable” things is a short term emotional need to stay in our comfort zone.  Our Knower/Judger has a nice soft sofa of comfortable things that don’t contain a lot of risk that we like to sit upon.  And if executing these IS getting us exactly what we WANT, then no changes in process are necessary.

Scenario:  You’re sitting in your 3rd quarter sales meeting looking at the data. Your team is 50% behind projection. “Deciding” that you EXPECT (I hope, I hope, I hope) to make it all up in Q4, but not changing your processes will develop FRUSTRATION!

You have two choices to avoid your frustration.  Manage your EXPECTATIONS or manage your PROCESSES.

What’s your struggle.  What are your processes?  Are changes in order?

Ribbit….

K

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