The Art of Expectation Setting
The art of expectation setting is that many people don’t do it, and this often starts at the interview phase. We worry we might scare away a great candidate by being transparent about what it takes to be successful in the role - the hours required, the complexity of the role, etc. The job of the interviewer is to paint the clearest picture possible of what their days are going to look like. While the interviewee wants to know these things, they can often be hesitant about asking such direct questions as it can be taken the wrong way – one of laziness as opposed to clarity of expectations. They’re now in the door, they accepted the job, but we are still hesitant about setting clear expectations. Why? Likely it’s much the same reason we didn’t do it at the hiring phase – worried about scaring off good talent by telling them what to do.
For most of us, if we are left to flounder at our own discretion, without clear goals being set, then you as their manager or leader are doing a terrible job. Without clear goals & KPI’s motivation will become problematic and we are left with a low-performing employee through little fault of their own. The list doesn’t have to be extensive, but it should motivate someone to do one more thing – one more sales call at the end of the day, one more review of a client’s plans.
Lay the groundwork early. Don’t just talk about how good things could be; be honest and discuss potential roadblocks from the outset.
Aside from honesty, another key component to setting expectations is to make them attainable. This may mean you adjust the goals over time until the appropriate level is in place but be transparent with your team from the beginning. As a business flexes, so too will everyone’s performance and output.
If you have a rapport with your team, and everyone understands the big picture directions of the business, setting expectations should be easy.
Documenting the expectations in writing is recommended. This can sometimes feel authoritarian, like providing an employee a written write-up for poor performance, but without documenting the conversation clearly, it is easy to walk away with the wrong impression of what was discussed. And write it ahead of time, not following the conversation. You will find it helps guide your conversation more effectively by putting your thoughts on paper first. This process will allow you to see holes in the conversation you plan to have.
Lastly, get a clear commitment. Don’t walk away from the table with wishy-washy responses like “maybe”, or “we should be able to”. Ask for yes or no answers as well as the relative timeline for each goal or KPI. If you aren’t receiving the latter, then it’s your job to better define the goals and understand why they may not be achievable.
Of course, the above hinges on an organization that allows for honest and transparent collaboration.
