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How to Manage Expectations at Work - 5 Step Tried and Test Method · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: How to manage expectations at work are essential skills to learn no matter what you do.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Manage expectations well and you will be firstly easier to work with, second, colleagues will like you more because you don't let them down.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: You'll be perceived as A more professional, B a team player, C better at your job, and lastly, fourth, I think you're more likely to be promoted.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: I am sure there are lots more benefits.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: The above are compelling in my view.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: And if you have poor expectation management skills, then you will experience the opposite of the list that we just went through.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: So in this podcast, I'm going to share my five-step process to manage expectations really well at work.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: This is my tried and tested approach, developed and constantly used through 25 years of working in businesses at all levels.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: In my experience, steps two and five are often missed and both make a big difference in managing expectations, so make sure you listen to both of these steps.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles, and I've spent 25 years working in corporates and household names through to SMEs at all management levels.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Managing expectations well has been critical to my success and my ability to deliver results personally and through my teams.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: I would like to share the lessons I've learnt with you.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: If you're new to this podcast, Enhanced.training provides online business courses to help professionals, managers and business owners improve their performance.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues and visit us at enhance.training.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: When you're working in any business, there are so many people that you'll need to work with.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, your manager, your team members, potentially a leadership team, colleagues from other teams and departments in the business, customers, suppliers, a number of external stakeholders such as maybe investors, for instance.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: And when you're working with them or delivering work or products to them, or getting work or products from them, you'll need to manage expectations.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: It is impossible to escape setting expectations when working in any kind of team.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: The better you manage expectations, the more benefits you will get doing your role, as mentioned at the start of this podcast.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: So the five steps are, firstly, think ahead, secondly, find out why you're being asked to do the work, thirdly, plan ahead, fourth, set expectations, and fifth, regularly communicate until the work is finished.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: It sounds really easy when it's a simple five-point list, yet in my experience putting it into practice is where too many people fall down.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: And when you have a team to manage, you have a lot more moving parts to think about and a lot more people's expectations to manage.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: So let's go through each step one by one and let's start with step one.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: So step one is think ahead.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: When managing expectations, when somebody asks for a piece of work, you must give yourself space to mentally think ahead and work out what you already have to deliver and how easy it would be to fit in this new piece of work.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: If you can't do this on the spot, don't commit to anything before you have thought through the implications of saying yes.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: If it's a simple piece of work and you are not that busy, then it may be a no-brainer to say yes on the spot.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: If the work is more complex or you are busy, then I would suggest that you find out more before you say yes.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: For example, your response might be so just to confirm, you want an analysis on customer X by Friday at 3 PM and you want to cover points A, B and C.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Can you give me 10 minutes and I'll get back to you as to when I can deliver this?
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: But before you go, I've got a couple of questions.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: This takes us on to our next step.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: So step two is find out more about why you're being asked to deliver this particular piece of work.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Finding out why you're being asked to do something is a really important step that many people miss or they don't feel confident enough to ask when trying to manage expectations.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't find out more, you're making it really hard for you to prioritize your work effectively or that of your team.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: I would suggest that you find out firstly how your work fits into the bigger picture, secondly, what deadlines the person asking you for the work is actually under, and third, where or who initiated the work if it's not the person you're talking to.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: I've also been amazed by how many requests and projects are not as urgent as they first appear to be once you start asking a few questions.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: So if asking a few questions gives you more time to do the work in practice, then this is a pretty good benefit straight away, so do ask questions to clarify why you're being asked to do the work you are.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, you can often do a better job if you understand how the work you produce is going to be used.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: You can tell your output, for instance, this helps the other person and their perception of you improves, another benefit.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Asking questions in the right way of course is important.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: You want to make sure that you come across as trying to be helpful rather than be difficult while getting the information that you need.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: An example of this might be saying, for instance, it would really help me to understand a bit about the project that you're doing so I can better tailor what I produce for you.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: What are you trying to achieve?
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: Rather than saying something like this, I need you to tell me a bit more about the project you're doing.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Both achieve the same result.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: The first is positioned as you trying to be even more helpful, the second is open to many interpretations, not all of them positive.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Other example questions you could use are, again, to help me put together exactly what you need, can you tell me about how you're going to use what I produce for you in your project?
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: Another example could be, you know, we're super busy at the moment, and I know you want this work by Friday.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: Could you just let me know what deadlines you're working to so I can maybe rejig the work I need to do to fit in your work and then therefore help you meet your deadlines?
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Or it could be, is this your project?
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: And if not, who's driving it?
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: It would be really useful to know.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you're confident or have a good relationship, you can ask much more direct questions.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Even when you are in this position, I would still position the questions as trying to help the other person because this gets you a lot more information and a lot more goodwill.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Work out your way of finding out more about why you're being asked to do a particular piece of work.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: So this takes us on to our third step.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: So step three is to plan ahead.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Now you know more about the context of the work you're being asked to do, it is much easier to prioritize this work against all the other tasks, activities, and projects you or your team are currently working on.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: I've always found it useful to categorize activities and projects into what is urgent and what is important.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: I often find that quite a lot of the urgent tasks can easily drown out what is really important but less urgent.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: So do keep in mind the urgency versus the importance.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: And you can plan that out on a sort of a two by two grid, which can be a really useful exercise.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: However you go about it, plan out which activities and tasks you need to deliver on, and by when against your capability or capacity to actually deliver them.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: However you approach it, plan out which activities and tasks you need to deliver on and by when against your ability to actually deliver or your capacity to deliver.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Decide how you can fit this new request into the overall workload you have.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: You are now in a position to set expectations.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: So the step four is setting expectations.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: When managing expectations, you must be very clear when you initially set expectations.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Be clear on what you're going to deliver and by when.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: If you are meeting the other person's initial request or expectation, then this is pretty easy.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: You're effectively saying yes, I can do what you ask.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: If you can't meet their initial request or their expectations, then it is really important that you explain why you can't deliver as requested.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: For example, I can deliver the customer X analysis as you've requested, however, I'm really busy with four other customer analyses currently, all part complete, and I need to deliver these between now and Thursday 5 pm.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: This means I can only really start work on the customer X analysis on Friday morning and finish by Monday lunchtime.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: I know you've asked for this by the end of Friday, and that's your deadline for the project that you're doing is the end of Thursday.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: So would it be okay if I deliver this to you for Monday lunchtime?
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: I can share some of the preliminary work on Friday afternoon if that would help.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: So, as you can see in this example, by explaining why you can't meet the initial request, you're demonstrating that you're not being difficult or lazy and you're doing your best to accommodate the request.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: This all helps maintain or build your relationship with the person asking for the work.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: And even more important, when you are clear and realistic in setting expectations, then they can plan and be confident that you'll deliver against those expectations.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: When setting expectations, it is so much more important that you be realistic rather than nice.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: The worst situation is working with a person that keeps missing deadlines or keeps giving you the last minute surprises.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: This makes it really hard to plan so that I can actually hit my own deadlines.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Give as much certainty as possible, even if it doesn't hit the original expectations requested.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: It can also be pretty useful to put some of the expectations that you've set into writing, you know, a quick email for instance.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: This gives both parties a written reference point that you can refer to if memories become a little bit hazy later on.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: This can head off or stop future disputes or misunderstandings.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Don't overuse it though.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, be realistic and give yourself some wiggle room.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Things always pop up, so give yourself space to deal with the unexpected and still be able to deliver when you say you're going to.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: And this takes us to our last step, so step five is to regularly communicate until the work is finished.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: It is so important that you communicate regularly with your stakeholders until you hand over the completed work.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: Too few people are good at proactively communicating progress.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: This is one of the most important lessons I learnt in managing expectations well.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Even if the project or work is going well and you're going to deliver it on time, touch base and give an update.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Use your judgment, of course.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: If it's a small piece of work that's not actually that important and you're probably going to deliver it within a day or so, for instance, then just deliver the work.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: If you're working on a more substantial piece of work or if it's particularly important, then give regular updates.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: You know, a quick phone call or an email every couple of days would really help proactively manage expectations.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: And by giving updates, you are communicating through your actions that you haven't forgotten about the work, that you're progressing it, and that you'll hit the deadlines that you've set.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: This proactively stops the other person chasing you, at the same time creating loads of goodwill with the other person.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: And there will be times that you can't deliver to the original deadline set, even though you've planned out the work and you've given yourself wiggle room.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: Pick up the phone or go see the person and explain why this is the case and set a new deadline.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: So the most important thing you can do is to tell them as early as possible so they can then plan to meet their deadlines.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: No one likes surprises, and even worse, not getting what you're expecting at the actual deadline.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: Staying silent is the best way to annoy the other person and trash your reputation with them.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: So pick up the phone and explain what is happening and why.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: The other person may not like it, but they will be very grateful that you have told them so they can adjust their plans accordingly and manage expectations of their stakeholders.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: So whether you're on schedule to deliver, and definitely if you're not on schedule, keep communicating progress to your stakeholder until you have delivered the work.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: So in summary, managing expectations is a really important skill to improve.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: The approach and tips shared in this podcast has helped me in my career and it definitely will help you too.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, when managing expectations, firstly don't forget to ask questions so you can prioritize the request effectively.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: Second, plan out how you're going to deliver the request and then set expectations clearly.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: And lastly, always keep your stakeholder informed of progress until you have delivered.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: And lastly, many people understand the theory of management expectations, but don't put the steps into practice.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Don't be like these people.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: If you're not already taking these steps, then put them into practice consistently.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: Your happiness and career will absolutely thank you for it.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues and visit us at enhanced.training and take a look at the courses and resources to help you manage your team more effectively.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks very much for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.