Delighting Before it becomes expectation

When an employee pursues his goals well they meet expectations. When they do beyond either by doing things that weren't expected or doing what was expected in a much more impactful manner they become stars. Done so consistently, makes them Champions.

In the same way, when an organisation/ manager recognises their team members, they are meeting expectations. Often, the recognition (& rewards) comes after the team realises they have met their goals. The team (& team members) have a certain expectation and the organisation at best meets it. When this expectation is not met the employee feels disgruntled and short changed.

Much like a certain proportion of the team delivers beyond expectations, the organisation needs to go beyond their expectations to keep them engaged. For an organisation/ manager going beyond can mean a few different things

1. Going beyond in terms of the recognition through call outs, faster promotions, greater increments, more opportunities, etc.

2. But equally, if not more important is the timing of the the recognition. Sometimes, for those star performers, doing things before it becomes an expectation can be game changing.

This does not mean we have different rules for different people. But rather, if meritocracy is a value, then can we as an organisation/ manager continue to deliver above expectations for some that have a greater impact on the business, and meet expectations for most.