Expectation Management

Having done a good job may not always be good enough. The term “good work” is more often than not subjective and its subjectivity lies in the eyes of the viewer. The person going through your work might think that it’s not up to the mark while you may think that you have done a good job! Now, why is that? It may be because of the performance expectations the other person may have had from you. Proactively managing your expectations will not only help you deliver on them effectively and efficiently, but will also help you keep a check on them. So, how do we manage such expectations? 

Expectations are often based on what has come before – Therefore, it is important to know what are the acceptable work standards or practices in your line of work and understand how you can perform along those lines. 

Don’t make assumptions – Simply, do not assume that the other person, may it be your peer, subordinate or supervisor has the same understanding of the project, situation, deadline or the work you do. You can bring everyone on the same page by discussing the challenges you face as well as, what needs to be done, how to achieve that and what is really expected of you and the others in the team.

Communicate - It is important to communicate efficiently with all the stakeholders to make sure everybody has a clear understanding of what’s going on and for you to have an understanding of what’s really expected from you.

Ask for Feedback – Asking your peers or your supervisor for feedback periodically, will help to know the difference between where you stand and where you said you would stand initially. It will also help you in identifying gaps and delivering on time.

Speak up – A major portion of expectation management is the expectation itself.  Therefore, if you feel that the expectations from you are not realistic and achievable, speak up about it and talk to the concerned people.

Managing other people expectations can be difficult at times along with your own from others. When you are faced with any difficulty in doing so, do not forget to communicate and speak-up. It will make things a tad easier.