Q. My predecessor was a natural in the role and all eyes are now on me. How can I meet their expectations? I don’t want to stumble or fumble my opportunity to win the way the Seahawks did in Super Bowl XLIX.
A. When I hear “natural,” I think about the 10,000 hours of practice that Malcolm Gladwell describes in Outliers: The Story of Success. Few people are “naturals”—what looks easy is revealed, on closer inspection, to have been achieved through practice, practice, and more practice. In the 25th Anniversary Edition of Mindfulness, Ellen Langer encourages us to redirect our attention:
“Our tendency is to focus on outcome…. When we envy other people’s assets, accomplishments or characteristics, …. We may be looking at the result of their efforts rather than at the process they went through on the way… Keeping an eye on process, on the steps anyone must take to become expert, keeps us from disparaging ourselves.” [page 48]
How will you meet expectations? It is up to you to manage expectations vs. scrambling to meet expectations that you think, fear, and imagine but have not verified. Begin by addressing the following questions:
- What are the unique qualities, skills or talents that you bring to the role? How will you leverage your talents?
- What is the business opportunity or challenge that led senior management to select you for this role? How and when will you put your unique stamp on the strategic direction
of your group or on your client engagements? - In this new role, who are your key stakeholders?
- What are the specific expectations of your key stakeholders? Are you aligned? Is there a win/win for all of your stakeholders?
And, finally remember to be you: it’s the most natural way to success.