Paying It Forward: Expectations help others
Expectations enable groups to work towards common goals with common expectations. Transparency, do what you say, and communication help people and things become a better community.
Paying it Forward: Expectations Help Others.
Checking in with another person helps us better understand common goals and ways to collaborate.
I invited Wichita Falls Mayor Tim Short to coffee, and our schedules matched the following week. Arriving five minutes early, I found Tim already had a coffee in hand and was relaxing at 8th Street Coffee.
We had a broad ranging discussion about volunteering and community service as we sipped coffee.
Tim shared, “Go early. Stay late. Help people.”
My learning was, “Leave things better than when you received them.”
How do we teach others to set lofty goals for themselves? My friend Gonzalo Robles invited me to travel join him in San Antonio for the fourth of five one-hour sessions with parents and students who are juniors and seniors at East Central ISD in San Antonio.
Texas A&M San Antonio has engaged Robles’ Café con Leche program to show parents and students how a Culture of High Expectations can be developed for their family such that their student heads to college.
Robles’ message, “College is affordable and accessible to all. But parents and students must prepare, plan and communicate.”
During their second session, parents worked in small groups to define what The Culture of High Expectations means for their family, both parents and student. The photo shares one group’s answers to these three questions:
1. What is the culture of high expectations?
2. What types of barriers do we have to overcome?
3. What do you think your plan should include to overcome barriers?
The group covered writing essays for 50 scholarships, applying to five colleges and working the classes and other tasks to best position the student for their success. Communicating within the family keeps everyone aware of the next things to be done.
Robles notes a couple of hours a day is ideal for keeping everyone up to date on the plan and actions. He acknowledges life is busy.
“So even one hour a week is better than nothing! More talk is better,” he said.
By the way, these three questions can be used to develop high expectations for other goals. Answer these questions with the group that shares your goal.
Do the right things to the best of your ability. Transparently let the others know the challenges in your plan, for they also face similar challenges. They perhaps have insights or resources that can help. Communication keeps all together though the challenges any project faces.
By the way, I was late to my coffee with Tim against my expectation that, “on time is 10 minutes early.”
Published Wichita Falls Times Record News, Trends Section, Sunday October 13, 2024.
Jack Browne is a community volunteer and former technology sales and marketing executive who worked 40 years at Motorola, MIPS Technologies and other companies. How are the children doing?