Expectations

Today's class discussion was about the importance of knowing one's expectations in order to be successful. It is necessary to fully understand what is expected from you from your leaders. Without knowing what is expected, there is a chance you can let your leaders down. On the other hand, as a leader, it is extremely important to give detailed instructions if you want something to be done correctly.

As this lecture progressed, one instance from my Escada internship stuck out in my mind. I was Escada's visual intern, and my supervisors expected a lot from me because they trusted me and believed in me. Escada's visual team is responsible for every single aspect of presentation, including the interior of the retail stores. We were in the process of remodeling a few of our boutiques while I was an intern. 

One day, my supervisor showed me a picture of a modern, faux leather chair and told me to, "find this chair." Before I continue, know one thing, I take things literally. I took his command as, "find this exact model." And so the search began...

I Googled every combination of the words--faux, leather, chair, beige, modern--to try to find this chair. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I was intimidated for sure. After what seemed like years of searching, I had to break the news to my supervisor that I failed in completing my given task. He was confused on why I couldn't find the chairs. He pulled up Google, picked the first website, and said, "this one will do." I was embarrassed. I soon realized that he meant find a chair SIMILAR to this one, not this exact chair. He laughed and apologized that I had been searching for the impossible. 

Lesson learned: Don't be afraid to ask questions. It's better to know what is expected of you, than to assume it. 

M