Avoiding rude surprises

As a business consultant, I’m very particular about managing expectations – what I expect from my clients and what they can expect from me. This is basically to avoid any rude surprises from either side, and also to ensure my clients and I maintain a healthy and rewarding relationship. However, I must admit that managing expectations can be energy-sapping at times as there are many dimensions to it, and to make matters worse, human nature is so unpredictable.

Managing expectations is probably one of the most underrated and underutilised skills at the workplace. Not everyone does it, but maybe if more did, we could avoid a lot of the day-to-day drama that goes on in many offices. I believe those who know how to manage expectations are in a better position to navigate the choppy waters of their business too.

Failure to manage expectations can have serious implications. For instance, routinely failing to live up to expectations can make a person or organisation look bad, especially when the person or the organisation sets those expectations. Products that are routinely delivered late, projects that are never completed, and deadlines that are never met are a sure way to infuriate bosses and customers alike. That is why the golden rule of expectation management is to underpromise and overdeliver, NOT overpromise and underdeliver. And if you do this often enough, others will surely be delighted with you.

Set clear expectations

Offices will definitely be a more joyful place to work in if managers learn to set clear expectations and ensure each team member understands how he’ll be held accountable if he fails to deliver the desired outcome. I bet you too would be infuriated to finish a certain task only to discover it isn’t what your boss expected. Many day-to-day problems at our workplace can be traced back to ambiguous expectations.

Setting clear expectations is not something that is overly difficult or magical – unless you as a manager don’t really know or understand the future state, results or outcome desired when managing your team members.

In order to set clear expectations for your team members, you must first and foremost be clear on what you want. For example, you need to know what is the desired outcome or deliverable you expect from each team member. Once you’ve a concrete handle on the specific outcome you desire to see, communicate that clearly to the person or group responsible for that task. Clearly state what you want to see as an outcome, the timeline – including any specific deadline – for achieving that outcome, and how you want the outcome presented or delivered, for example in a spreadsheet or PowerPoint. Better still, put your expectations in writing and email to each team member outlining each individual task and desired outcome. Giving others a picture of what you think success looks like will give them confidence to move forward.

A key step in setting expectations is to create an opportunity for feedback and questions so that the person or group can fully digest and understand the desired outcome. Very often managers and employees alike get into hot water when they assume others know what they expect or even what they’re talking about. They merely assume someone has the same understanding of a situation, task, deadline or project. To avoid any misalignment of expectations, the golden rule is never assume as you “make an ass out of you and me” because that’s how it’s spelt.

Ask questions

As a manager, how do you ensure you and your team members are on the same wavelength? One effective way is to ask clarifying questions like “Do you have any questions?”, “Do you need more information before you start?”, “Is there something else you need to get this done?” or “Are there any specific resources you need?” Even if you don’t get any feedback initially, follow up closely and welcome any feedback or questions during the process to ensure everyone is moving in the right direction. A common pitfall among managers is to wait until the last minute to check on things, and then realise the person or team is totally off tangent, by which time it’s too late!

Once you’ve set and communicated the expectations to your subordinate, avoid managing the “how”. Unless it’s absolutely necessary that someone achieves an outcome using a specific process, it’s best not to manage ”how” things are being done. Let the person decide how he wants to go about achieving the outcome. Don’t fall into the trap of micro-managing as this is not what empowerment is all about.

Having said that, there are certain situations where you must specifically relate “how” one should do something, for instance, when the person is new and requires guidance as he has not done the task before, or you’re asked a specific question relating to how the task should be done.

By not meddling on “how” a certain task is to be carried out, you’re also empowering the employee to find the best way to accomplish a task and some new improvement in best practices may arise because of this, which will in turn improve efficiency and productivity, and also boost staff morale.

As a manager, one of your key tasks is to be a resource in terms of removing obstructions or overcoming obstacles as reported to you from time to time. The employee must be assured of your guidance and assistance to carry out the task, for instance, in finding the necessary resources to get the job done. Much as you want your team members to be resourceful and take initiative, however, occasionally they’ll need your vast experience, connections or specific skills and knowledge to handle certain issues.

Manage the outcome

An important aspect you should also focus on is managing the outcome. Never abdicate your accountability for outcomes. Of course, that doesn’t mean you just do it yourself if you don’t see any progress. Don’t do it as it’s terribly bad for staff morale! Your role is to manage the outcome which involves clarifying information, helping to address issues or remove obstacles encountered, motivating and inspiring, and, if necessary, enlisting more help to ensure the desired outcome is achieved.

How do you stay connected with your subordinate or team so that you’ve the opportunity to continue managing the outcome of any task or project? An effective way which I often use is setting milestones as a means of predetermining specific points to interact with the person or team. Milestones are normally set based on progress points during a task or project, but you can also set specific dates as milestones.

By holding frequent check-ins throughout the course of a task, your team members can provide real-time status updates which will provide you the opportunity to manage any delays, risks or obstacles. You’ll also have the flexibility to make new decisions or adjustments to your original plan or put plan B in place, if need be.

Managing expectations is a two-way traffic. Employees have a vital role to play and they must make sure they understand exactly what is expected of them. Never assume you and your boss are on the same page. Understand in detail what the desired outcome is, what your priorities are and what will be considered a success according to your manager’s expectations.

Before embarking on your assigned task, seek clarity with your manager. Ensure continual open communication with your manager for both parties to gauge progress, assess risks and adjust actions. By keeping your boss in the loop, it also ensures he’s aware of your progress and, if necessary, make certain adjustments and keep you on track.