Quick Wins

Quick Wins

You should fully exploit the under-promise, over-deliver rule.

Before starting any analysis, try to begin with the easiest options. For example, using Pareto Rule, you have identified the key 20% of distributors and you have some reliable information on a certain distributor. Then focus on him. It’s called Quick Win. To focus on the Quick Wins is a very useful approach. Starting with it is key, especially if you are asked for an update, in which case you can demonstrate that you are making great progress.

You should always try to anticipate the next step. If you are one step ahead, you start sketching new studies and preparing another step. The more creative you are, the better. Anticipating the next step is a great way to over-achieve.

It is very important to keep you word. This involves first managing and then exceeding expectations by over-delivering on what you promise. Maintain honesty and integrity, build trust and develop prosperous long-term work relationship. Illustration: © Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Anyway, you should always keep in mind the following points:

    If you set low expectations (if you under-promise) and you under-deliver, you will be ignored. Your client or your boss will not even consider your work.

    If you set high expectations (if you over-promise) and you under-deliver, you client will be angry. This is the worst scenario, as your client is expecting a lot from you and you are not able to achieve what you made a commitment to do.

    If you set too low expectations (you under-promise too much) and over-deliver, the client will be bored. You overachieved, but somehow he or she knew that you could do better and is not particularly surprised that you over-delivered.

You need to take into consideration the fact that as you over-deliver, there is a shift of expectations from your partners. If you over-deliver several times in a row, there can be two possible explanations:

    You are very good, and this raises expectations for the upcoming projects

    You are average but you under-promise. In this case each time you try to under-promise they will expect more from you.

In both cases there is a shift in expectation. That is why is very important that you over-deliver, but you should alternate between setting high and low expectations. To reduce the shift in expectations, it is a good idea to make your boss or client feel a little bored some of the time.