Anticipation or Expectation?

As young children, my older brother and I would climb the fence that surrounded our back yard.  The fence had a flat top that allowed us to walk and balance ourselves around the perimeter of our familial boundary.  Sometimes I would follow him -- seeing who would fall off.  Sometimes we would start on opposite ends of the yard -- racing to see who would get halfway first.  When we were the most daring, we would see if we could pass the other person without falling off.

We were learning the skills of coordination and balance at a young age, and we learned to look beyond our limited yard into the neighbor's yards and the untamed gully that bounded our neighborhood.

How do you balance what you see and hear?
(Photo credit: Balancing Act Trio,
Randolph Rose Collection)

This image surfaced when I was with my brother earlier this week.  We no longer climb physical fences, but there are many situations and issues where we still need to balance our perspectives and coordinate beyond our limited viewpoints.

For many years I was a project manager.  Balancing and coordinating became important skills for the project teams to learn... along with differentiating between anticipation and expectation.

What do you anticipate will happen in a given situation?
(Photo credit:  How to Watch Super Bowl 54 as a Chiefs Fan,
Sports News)

I don't know about you, but I came to learn that there is a slight difference between anticipating an action or result and expecting it.  Both are future-focused, but one thinks or realizes what might happen ahead of time while the other projects onto a situation or person.

For instance, as project manager, I had to anticipate that Plan A might not work, and I had to be ready to pivot to Plan B immediately.  I also had to manage the expectations that others had of the outcomes of both plans.

Are your expectations getting in the way of relationships?
(Photo credit: Do You Understand Other People's Expectations?,
Praesta Insights)

As we balance plans and priorities with Loved Ones and friends, maybe we could step back and practice the skills learned as children:

• Identify the boundaries.
• Balance between what is anticipated and expected.
  
• Look beyond our limited views.
  

 Maybe that's how we navigate these unprecedented times where information and misinformation collide, inclusion and separation divide us, and boundaries of civility are crumbling.

Peace!
 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)