This week everyone at MCC International has been captivated by the global media story, as one by one the 33 Chilean miners ascended to a level of fame and infamy (in the case of one of the trapped men who’s wife discovered a hidden mistress).Initially, it was reported that the miners would not be rescued until Christmas, so the fact that they are all now safe and well on the surface more than two months in advance (yes Christmas is just around the corner!) is testament to their endurance and the huge effort of those involved in the rescue operation.
The announcement that the rescue was to begin early was greeted with unanimous cheer around the world, but what if the situation had been reversed and they had promised to have saved the miners in October, but could not meet this date. Questions would be asked about the level of effort, lack of planning and the morale of the miners and their families would sink even lower.
So as well as providing the perfect example of humanity and teamwork at its very best, this story also clearly demonstrates the importance of setting realistic deadlines and never over promising and then under delivering. It is always better received to delight someone by delivery a standard of work beyond their expectations, faster than they had hoped, than to disappoint. The result may ultimately be the same, but the perception of quality and service will be either positive or negative depending on how you said you would get there and how long it would take.
No comments:
Post a Comment