Positive Expectations: The Key To Achieving Success

Once upon a time in London, there was a group of people who decided to create a club called the Pessimists’ Society. They thought it was a cool idea, and all the pessimistic folks in the neighborhood agreed to meet up the following Sunday to make it happen. But when that Sunday rolled around, guess what? Nobody showed up for the meeting! It turned out that everyone thought it was a bad idea and wouldn’t work. Oops!

You know how sometimes people say being negative is not so great? Well, that’s because pessimism is like the champion of all the not-so-happy feelings. But here’s something interesting—not everyone knows how awesome it is to be optimistic, to expect good things to happen.

Now, I know you might have heard about some super-positive ideas, like, “If you believe you’ll find a parking spot close to the supermarket, you really will!” It might sound a bit too magical, but there’s proof that thinking positively can make a big difference in what happens. Think good things and good things might just happen to you! 

Let me tell you a story that might teach us all a powerful lesson about this.

In a school in Texas, USA, something exciting happened. The principal had a fantastic idea to make the school stand out. He picked the thirty smartest kids from Grade 7 and put them in a special class with the three best teachers in the school. Their goal? To make sure these students rocked the state examination and made the school proud.

The teachers were super excited to be chosen as the top three, and they worked hard with their brilliant students. They gave them cool projects, held extra classes on weekends, and happily spent extra time helping each student do their best in the state exam.

The kids were pumped too! They were okay with missing a baseball game here and there if it meant attending an extra math class. Their parents were over the moon that their children were selected for this special group. They even postponed family holidays to ensure the kids didn’t miss any school days. The parents kept a close eye on homework and assignments.

And you know what? The batch of thirty students did amazingly well! They ranked in the top percentage of all the students in the state. The principal was so happy that he called the three teachers to congratulate them. But, you know what the teachers said? They gave credit to the super-talented kids and their hard work. “Teaching such smart and dedicated kids was a real pleasure!” they happily agreed.

Then, the principal decided to spill the beans. These kids weren’t extraordinary at all. They weren’t the brightest of the bunch, not even close. There were just thirty students randomly selected from different classes and handed over to the three teachers.

The teachers were surprised but quickly tried to make sense of it. After all, they were the top three teachers, right? They must have worked their teaching magic. “Well, not exactly,” the principal revealed. “I just put all the teachers’ names into a hat and randomly picked three. And, you happened to be those three!”

So, what was the real story? With thirty average students and three teachers picked by chance, how did the school manage to get such amazing results? The secret: the power of positive expectations!

Feeling the weight of their special status and the high expectations, the teachers went above and beyond. They worked longer hours, prepared better, and assigned more projects. They saw potential in their students and pushed them to shine even brighter. The students, thrilled to be chosen, worked harder, made sacrifices, and pushed themselves to reach their full potential. The parents and the school environment supported them along the way.

There’s a message for all of us here. Whether as parents, team leaders, or just human beings, expect more. The power of positive expectations can make a real difference!

Expect the best from your team, your spouse, your kids, and the world around you. When you believe in positive outcomes, you’ll see others working hard to meet those expectations. And here’s the thing—don’t keep those positive expectations to yourself. Share them! Talk openly about what you hope for. Don’t let the fear of failure or the “what if” thoughts hold you back.

Expectations have this incredible power to shape reality. Imagine telling your child that they’re clumsy and always dropping things. What might happen? Well, they’ll start believing it. Every time they drop something, they’ll think, “That’s just me” or “I can’t help it, that’s how I am.” Later on, they might even convince themselves, saying, “My parents always said I was clumsy, and they were quick to see it in me!”

Now, flip the script. Tell your child they’re super smart and destined for success. Watch them put in the extra effort to tackle those tricky algebra problems. “I can do it. My dad always says I’m smart. Maybe I just need to practice more.” The more they practice, the smarter they become. Positive expectations can truly make a difference!

In the workplace, the magic of positive expectations works wonders. If you expect your team to excel, you’ll see them putting in that extra effort to make sure they meet your expectations. So, it’s up to you. Expect positive outcomes and see them become a reality. Or, if you prefer, go ahead and expect failure, like many people do.

And, just like them, you can always say, “I told you so.” Expect more, and you’ll likely get more. Expect failure, and unfortunately, you might get that too. It’s all about what you choose to believe and anticipate in your team and in life.