March 2025
Clear Expectations
“Creating clear expectations in the workplace is not a one-time event. Rather it is a continuous process of communication, alignment, and adaptability.”
– Kathryn Pollack
Prompt:
Think about a time in your life when something didn’t go according to plan, and likely you will find that either you or someone else involved had expectations that were not clearly articulated. A lack of clear expectations is one of the top reasons that projects, events, and people fail. In today’s business environment most of us must move at a fast pace, juggle multiple responsibilities, and are constantly looking ahead for what is next. So it’s not a surprise that this critical component often gets overlooked. We race from one thing to the next and don’t take the appropriate amount of time to ask others (and ourselves) for clarification on expectations.
The other challenge with expectations is that people often make the mistake of assuming that everyone shares their perspective. We use reference points to evaluate the world around us. We don’t think in absolutes – almost all of our decisions are based on relativity. Someone who has planned hundreds of events over the course of 10 years is going to have a different vantage point than someone who is planning events in their first year. It’s not that the new person can’t contribute, it’s that they might not have a full understanding of what the senior team members is talking about as they describe details, timeline, etc.
Managers who set clear expectations empower their teams to work more confidently, fostering a positive work environment and enhancing overall team performance. Communication improves, collaboration increases, and conflicts are prevented because team members are more proactive. And team members gain clarity on their individual responsibilities and how they contribute to the overall team dynamic leading to increased engagement.
Check out this article to learn more about the consequences of not setting clear expectations.
Worksheet:
We recommend doing this worksheet before getting into any of the content/discussion this month! Instruct your team to complete the front side, and wait until prompted to turn the page over for discussion. Once your team has completed the sheet, go question by question and have everyone share their responses. Notice how they differ. Then have a group discussion around these questions:
What pieces of information should have been added to each question to set expectations that are more clear?
Where do we have opportunities in our organization to make expectations more clear?