By Kristen Hayer
The unexpected can be good or bad. This week, traveling between New York and Toronto, I got to experience both, along with a polar vortex and temperatures that left this California girl questioning her life choices. It got me thinking about expectations.
Unexpected events heighten your experiences, good or bad. I definitely wasn't expecting this weather when I planned a 90 minute flight that turned into an 8-hour travel nightmare. Even though I know the weather wasn't her fault, every announcement the pilot made about our delay grated on my nerves and made me angry. On the flip side, the workshop I taught in Toronto ended up being held in a beautiful cathedral, built in 1860. The space and atmosphere was an incredible surprise that made my lack of sleep seem small, and helped me rise to the occasion of teaching a team of enthusiastic CS professionals.
Things that are unexpected increase our reactions to experiences. What are you doing to set expectations and prevent negative surprises? How are you delighting your customers with the positive and unexpected? Stay warm, my friends!