Inspect what you expect

“People don’t do what you expect but what you inspect.”

—Louis V. Gerstner Jr., former CEO of IBM

Image of military inspection

Image from Flickr by Jason Pier in DC

How often in your personal or professional worlds do people let you down by making, then not fulfilling, their promises?

Unfulfilled expectations are key reasons for the upsets we experience on a daily basis.

A simple yet highly effective strategy to bolster the odds of promises being fulfilled is to add accountability and direct inspection to the agreements you reach with others.

The knowledge that you or others will actually be checking up and inspecting the efforts and accompanying results almost guarantees the job gets done.

EXERCISE:

Where in either your personal or professional worlds would an “inspect what you expect” strategy dramatically improve the percentage of promises kept, and the results you desire?

“Don’t ever promise more than you can deliver, but always deliver more than you promise.”

“Don’t ever promise more than you can deliver, but always deliver more than you promise.”

– Lou Holtz, American football coach

Late For WorkImage from Flickr by Photo Extremist.

What happens when we fall short on the things we promise others? How do you feel when the people in your professional and personal life show up late for meetings or appointments? What happens to your level of trust in these relationships?

How would the people in your life answer this question with regard to you?

Exercise:

What can you do today to be a person who over-delivers on their promises?