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Read Time: 4 Minutes 30 Seconds<\/em><\/p>\n
Hello<\/p>\n Welcome to Chapter Six of SQUAD<\/a>. Access the Locker<\/a> to read old Chapters or T\u2014S\u2014F<\/a>\u00a0to download 365<\/a> open files. (Password: topgun)<\/p>\n I think it was Bruce Lee who once said, \u201cI\u2019m not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you\u2019re not in this world to live up to mine.\u201d<\/p>\n Bruce has a point, but you and I know that it\u2019s easier said than done. And plus, we\u2019re never playing table tennis with nunchucks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Today we\u2019re talking about, you guessed it, managing and setting expectations. \u00a0<\/p>\n When clients, who\u2019ve seen your existing work, come knocking at your door, they have expectations\u2014of what you can and can\u2019t do for them.\u00a0<\/p>\n When prospective employees, who\u2019ve heard about your company culture come looking for a job, they have expectations\u2014to do good work and be challenged professionally on a daily basis.\u00a0<\/p>\n When people of the opposite sex hear about your all-around likeable persona and voracious capacity to listen, they have expectations\u2014on how you could become a valuable asset in their life.<\/p>\n And there you are centre stage\u2014juggling flaming bottles of expectations\u2014feeling the heat, putting on a spectacle.\u00a0<\/p>\n Too\u2014many\u2014em\u2014dash\u2014huh?<\/p>\n Congratulations on setting the bar on fire. Not only are people impressed, but they are lining up to shake your hand and grab a selfie.\u00a0<\/p>\n And this mischievous character, on your far left, dressed in a blood red sheath<\/a>, itching to take you home\u2014cuts in line. It’s Scarlett Johansson meets Sofia Vergara. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n At times I find myself in situations where things don’t unfold as per people’s expectations or mine for that matter. And no one but me is to blame.\u00a0<\/p>\n Having said that, on times when it works impeccably\u2014and all my ducks are in a row\u2014it is the result of meticulous negotiation.\u00a0<\/p>\n And here\u2019s my little recipe (in the first part of a series I will continue on an undisclosed schedule) slash understanding of managing everyone\u2019s expectations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Begin by setting the bar extremely low, making the smallest promise upfront\u2013keeping the commitment as lean as possible.<\/p>\n For clients\u2014who might have unrealistic ideas of success by commissioning cosmetic design efforts\u2014be honest on outcomes. A fancy new website isn\u2019t solving sales issues trenched in poor production and distribution. \u00a0<\/p>\n Avoid overbooking yourself. Here\u2019s what happens. By doing so you know you can deliver on a promise you\u2019ve made with breathing room. It takes the pressure off your shoulders.\u00a0<\/p>\n I can tell you I am currently overbooked, and having to play ketchup isn’t cool. \u00a0<\/p>\n Not overcommitting allows a margin for error and an opportunity to deliver over and beyond. But even if you don\u2019t go above and beyond the previously committed assignment, that\u2019s ok. No one is expecting the universe.<\/p>\n \u201cI know you\u2019d do the same for me,\u201d what Robert Cialdini of the Influence<\/a> suggests as an alternative response to \u201cYou\u2019re welcome\u201d<\/a> when doing someone a favour holds another treasure.<\/p>\n Say you\u2019ve helped someone\u2014or your friend\u2014get out of a financial pickle. A natural expectation could be getting help in a situation \u201cdeemed\u201d of equivalent value in return if you\u2019re the sort keeping a tab.\u00a0<\/p>\n And if the same person or friend denies you a loan in a time of need, you\u2019d be shattered. But, instead, not expecting the same thing in return is better than not having any expectation at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n People respond organically and not in a linear fashion. That friend or individual might get you out of a traffic fine or get you a new job because you helped him\/her out financially that one time. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n We can rightfully adapt Sylvia Plath\u2019s, \u201cIf you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed\u201d to \u201cIf you expect something from somebody don\u2019t ask for your money back because disappointment sucks, bruh!\u201d<\/p>\n In Other News<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n A few weeks ago, Loveurope Group<\/a>, a UK-based advertising agency, contacted me after seeing 365 on Ello<\/a>, to take over their Instagram page<\/a> for a week.<\/p>\n The week has arrived. See the page<\/a>. (I know it\u2019s not ketchup, okay.)<\/p>\n I also spent the last three weeks working as a contract designer with Puncture<\/a>, a branding & design studio based in Toronto. The resemblance to H Degree<\/a>, a company I co-founded and left, is uncanny.<\/p>\n Plus, the founders of both studios\u00a0look identical\u2014Spencer<\/a> and Harkirat<\/a>\u2014standing at six feet, long hair, beard, fair complexion and designers by habit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lastly,\u00a0I want to share this lovely article by Yann Girard on “Why No One Reads Your Stuff.<\/a>”<\/p>\n Before we go our separate ways<\/strong> Share your views on today’s Chapter either by replying to this email or\u00a0tweeting me<\/a>. Always happy to improve, learn and answer your questions. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Have a happy week!<\/p>\n Yours truly, TWITTER<\/a>\u2014INSTAGRAM<\/a>\u2014MEDIUM<\/a>\u2014OFFICE<\/a>\u2014ELLO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Paul Syng’s SQUAD \u265b Chapter Six What To Expect \u2014 Read Time: 4 Minutes 30 Seconds Hello Welcome to Chapter Six of SQUAD. Access the Locker to read old Chapters or T\u2014S\u2014F\u00a0to download 365 open files. (Password: topgun) I think it was Bruce Lee who once said, \u201cI\u2019m not in this world to live up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"","rank_math_canonical_url":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-digest-archive"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90006\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5f3d2cef-4099-4c9e-94c4-4ba7241286c2.jpg\")
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I encourage you to fill out this survey. Tell me a little bit about yourself<\/a>, it only takes sixty-two seconds. Your suggestions are appreciated and help me shape and improve the SQUAD.<\/p>\n
Paul Syng<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d79d8139-ff02-4384-a0fb-ef833d464430.jpg\")
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