Let’s be real – 2020 hasn’t been the year we all expected or planned for. Now more than ever, our team is striving to live out our core values each and every day to better serve our clients and our team.
This week we’re talking about Promise and Exceed Expectations – check out what our team had to say below and share your experiences with us. When was a time your expectations were exceeded? We’d love to hear from you!
Kim McKeeman, CEO
In articulating this core value, we really wanted to talk about what drives us and how that relates to the work we do for our clients. For me, making promises and keeping them is critical to every relationship – personal and professional. I’m not in business to do average or above-average work. I want to get an “A”. And, A-plus work is always particularly rewarding as well.
Caroline Schmid, Vice President
When I think about this specific core value, the phrase “surprise and delight” always comes to mind. While our team wholeheartedly believes in managing expectations and setting agreed-upon goals and success metrics at the beginning of an engagement, nothing makes us happier than finding opportunities to surprise and delight our clients. In short, we like to treat their business as our own and – no doubt – when they succeed, we succeed.
Whitney Williams, Account Supervisor
You may have heard the saying, “Aim low and shoot high” which, to many, translates to, “Have modest goals and then try to exceed them.” Our approach, Promise and Exceed Expectations, isn’t about setting modest goals, but more about setting agreed upon goals that we, and our clients, consider as wins. Then, as we work in partnership with our client to meet those goals, we evaluate how to extend the value we give – ultimately helping us to exceed the expectation. We let this core value guide us with client partnerships, community partnerships and even with our internal team support.
Katie Parker, Account Supervisor
When it comes to things I’m passionate about, I’ve never been one who is ok with “just meeting expectations”. Whether professional work or personal relationships, it’s important to me that I go a step further to show someone – friend, client, or even my husband (once in a while) – that I want to go above and beyond to not just show my value, but show how much I value them and their partnership. Some times it’s as simple as daily updates on a project that I know is very important to the client. I think this core value really separates McKeeman from the pack – not only do we do what we say we’re going to do, we’re going to ensure our partnership is meaningful – it’s not just a transaction for us, and I love my team for it.
Shannon Sadler, Senior Account Executive
Go the extra mile. It’s a saying we’ve all heard and one my brothers are still trying to grasp the meaning of. But, these days, it’s certainly not enough to be friendly and efficient in relationships – whether professional or personal. You have to connect and go the extra mile to be remembered and to show that the other relationship is valued. Promise and exceed expectations is about meeting goals and creating memorable experiences beyond those goals that do the talking for you. This is a core value that I take with me every day in all of my relationships and one that continues to hold a higher meaning with each progressive step.
Becky Ogburn, Account Executive
What does “promise and exceed expectations” mean to me? It’s doing what you’re being asked – and paid – to do, with a little extra oomph. I’m promising to do my best, but I’m also going to go the extra mile to make sure it’s not only what you’ve asked for, but even better. Each team member at McKeeman does that, and it’s honestly not even a second thought – it’s second nature. Makes me proud to be part of a team that lives this core value on a daily basis – be it work, or just life in general.
Victoria O’Neal, Account Executive
We all know how it feels when our expectations aren’t met – it’s not that fun. I would tell you a story about my husband, a hockey game and a very controversial plate of nachos, but I don’t have that much space. We all have expectations – both in our personal and professional lives – and at McKeeman our goal is to not only make sure that our clients’ expectations are met, but that we add a cherry on top, too (or pulled pork and vinegar on top of the nachos if we’re following that story I didn’t tell you). It all boils down to this – put on your clients’ shoes and then do the best work you can for their business.