You will get exactly what you expect

This is a story of young lady who went to work for a company immediately after graduating from college. She seemed extremely talented but unbelievably timid.

She was assigned to a division-level marketing department where she assisted in the production of advertising and collateral material. Her boss associated her shyness with a lack of technical and conceptual skills. As a result, she was never included in brainstorming or planning sessions. The boss thought she was best suited to simple graphics layout and paste-up.

Frustrated that her talents were squandered on simple tasks, she applied to the corporate marketing department. The vice-president reviewed her resume and transferred her without interviewing her at length. His concept of the young lady was positive and assigned her to a series of important, key projects. She performed magnificently.

A few months later, her last boss was in the vice-president's office admiring the new corporate ad campaign. The project consisted of television and radio commercials, full-page ads for national publications and complete press kits. The last boss asked, "Who is that talented person who created that kind of magic?" The VP replied, "This was all completed by that young lady you sent me. That was the best move I ever made!"

Sometimes individuals are literally hobbled by low or incorrect expectations. In many instances, the mindset of a co-worker or supervisor can restrict an employee's ability to become an excellent performer.

This cause-and-effect model applies to all aspects of our lives. Whether it’s the workplace or at home, we fail to recognize the talents around us because of certain assumptions that we make about people either because of their personality traits or because of their age or their looks and background without actually exploring their talents.