Chapter 2 14

Briefing the Teams

Brief customer team	Before conducting the Shared Expectations session, the facilitator briefs all members of the customer team on the Shared Expectations process to ensure that they buy into the process and understand its benefits, have a realistic set of expectations about the potential outcome of the process, and understand what the process will entail. This briefing needs to be conducted to allow sufficient lead time for session planning. Begin the briefing session by explaining the following information to the customer team.
Objective	In stating the objective of the Shared Expectations process, it is a good idea to include the following information: The objective of the Shared Expectations process is to build an ongoing value-adding relationship with you, our customer; to partner more effectively; and to use a systematic process for continuous improvement. The Shared Expectations process ensures that we thoroughly understand your expectations and conduct a dialog to answer: § What are your expectations? § What is most important to you? § How are we doing? § How can we improve? § Where do we need to work together toward improvement?
Process details	To give the customer team a good idea of what to expect without actually beginning the process, the facilitator can describe the high-level steps of the Shared Expectations process in this way: The Shared Expectations process is essentially an information-gathering dialog and negotiation; it is not a written questionnaire. Although the concept is not new, the process serves as a systematic way to ensure we are gathering critical information and using it to enhance our relationship. The process also serves as a reminder that getting answers to these questions is only the beginning of our relationship-building. What we do with the expectations is most important. Follow-up is the key. "Gaps" between customer expectations and our performance will drive improvement. The ongoing improvements are critical to building a sustained relationship.