Higher Expectations

What does it mean to you when someone says they expect more out of you? How does that make you feel? Do you shrug your shoulders and go on about your day, or does that sour feeling form in the pit of your stomach, churning and turning as you think about how you never want to disappoint that person again?

I asked myself this question while traveling back from seeing clients today. While driving through the country, I took the time to reflect inward and think about the last time somebody said these words to me. As a child, that one little phrase would rock me to my core. My dad would tell me that he expected more, and I'd just about lose my lunch. I thought about how those words helped me perform better in school and in many ways, live a happier, more productive life.

These are the same words I recently used with one of my children who has been having a hard time behaviorally in school. An otherwise very well-behaved young man, my son is all of the sudden making poor choices and struggling to accept the consequences of those poor choices. People say, "It's a hard age", or ask "is it the group of kids he's hanging out with?" I don't give him that, however. I believe we have a million reasons every day to do or not do what we are supposed to do. The difference is, one little concept; integrity. It's the reason why I feel that the most powerful thing my dad ever said to me was that he expected more. It gave me the power to believe in myself and push forward, even when the odds were against me. Those words made me feel like it was harder not to do the things I was supposed to do than it was to do them. They were my motivation to be the very best I could be, and by all means, not to let him down. In turn, it taught me how not to let myself down. I know they had the intended affect on my son as well because I could see it in his eyes. As harsh as it may sound, the reason why I expect more out of him is that I know that he is capable of far better, and I have every faith that this phase of his life will be short lived as his character continues to strengthen.

As I continued driving and thinking, I thought about how this relates to my business. My clients always tell me how happy they are for what I've done to help them accomplish their dreams, but never anything about what they wish I'd done better. It is my goal to always continue to grow and enhance my clients' experiences far beyond their expectations. The best way I know to experience growth is through feedback. Sure, nobody wants to say something as harsh as, "I expected more out of you" as it relates to a service-based business, but I believe constructive criticism will help me continue to develop into the best version of myself that I can possibly be. Therefore, I've decided to implement another step after the sale...sending out a survey. I want my clients to feel 110% comfortable referring all of the people in their lives my way knowing that I'm going to take great care of them. I hope that the survey will encourage open communication and send the message to my clients that their opinion matters.

What do higher expectations mean to you? Feel free to respond to my post or text me/email me your thoughts.