There isn’t a person that doesn’t get excited for getting something that they want. Unwrapping a gift, walking into your favorite bakery for their best cupcake, or having a team deliver its most important feature. All of these things are positive experiences. What is implied, but rarely cared about, is how those milestones came to be? The details that went into it, the thought that went into the gift, the recipe and specificity of the baker, and the way that teams take on and do work are all part of the consumer getting what they want.
As a consumer is it important to listen to the team making what you want and remember a few key items:
Everyone wants success
Whether the gift giver, baker, or the product delivery team, they all want the recipient/consumer to enjoy what they are being given; seeing the value out of their efforts and the positive experience that comes along with it. No one wants to deliver something that is sub-par; they are typically forced or convinced to do so.
Trust the process
If the baker says, “The cupcakes will be done in another five minutes.” Nobody in their right mind will tell them to take it out of the oven now. In order to have quality delivery, their are methods and needs that should be respected. In enjoying that cupcake, you aren’t just enjoying its taste and texture; you are enjoying the preparation of the ingredients, the temperature the oven is set to, and the time it takes to bake. The same is true in a professional environment. Creating cumbersome mechanisms in support of delivering doesn’t bring joy; it adds weight. The methods around how the work gets done are there for a reason.
Be accountable for the decisions you are asked to make
Questions like “what flavor cupcake do you want” and “is it more important for you to have your order done by 2:30 or have the box contain a variety of flavors” are a part of the process also. As the consumer, you need to be decisive and own the answers to the questions that you are asked. This accountability is important to both drive what consumers are looking to get with the producer providing optimal value considering the constraints.
The goal of this is to not have to have consumer care about the details, but to have a respect for them. When you are receiving something, you aren’t just getting the final product, you are getting the methods used to produce it and as they say, “you get what you pay for.” In order to get your favorite cupcake, the ingredients, time, skills, and process of the baker all go into why it is your favorite cupcake.