Expectation Management

Effectively managing expectations is crucial in various aspects of business, whether it involves your co-founder, co-worker, stakeholders, or other teams in your company. Unhandled expectations cause drama most of the time. It is normal and healthy for individuals to have different expectations. These expectations may vary on discipline. For instance, one co-founder might expect to be profitable at the end of the year while the other may anticipate exponential growth. Divergent expectations are natural, but if left unmanaged, they can lead to potential crises.

Acknowledging that everybody has expectations is the first step in effectively managing them. Then, the next thing is to align expectations. We can do this by making expectations clearly and regularly communicated. When expectations differ, you must seek understanding, learn their perspective and the rationale behind the expectations, and ask for clarification on how the person thinks that is achievable before starting to cut off the expectations. After aligning on the possibilities and facts, then you can collaboratively set realistic expectations.

When an unrealistic expectation is promised, you will find yourself in a conflict later. This type of conflict can bring questions about your skills, damage your relationship with those who are your direct reports, managers, or investors, and finally hurt your credibility. So, it is better to align expectations before it turns into conflict.

At times, we may put unrealistic expectations which eventually make us feel we are unsuccessful, which may be just a wrong perception. For example, as a junior engineer, you can expect rapid promotion to mid/senior engineer within just two or three years, driven by dedication and hard work. However, aspiring to become an engineer manager responsible for over a hundred engineers within a year sounds like unrealistic expectations. Without true, attainable expectations, you cannot evaluate your performance and probably have wrong perceptions.

In short, fostering open communication and alignment of expectations is crucial to maintain harmony in your organization. Acknowledge that others have different expectations and seek understanding and alignment on expectations. And do this periodically.