Setting expectations as a manager

Setting expectations means making a request clear enough for another person to understand, agree to and carry out, with accountability and follow-up while the work proceeds.

Preparation for the request

Managers are responsible for tasks being completed well and on time, often through assigning work to employees; clear expectations give the task the best chance of being done well. ¹ Before setting expectations, managers need to understand their own strengths, weaknesses and motivation. ²

The five-step process

An effective process for setting clear expectations has five steps. ¹

1. Pre-work. Consider how personal weaknesses could affect the request, such as discomfort with conflict when the employee is likely to resist, and how the task could fit the employee’s motivations. Identify the who, what, when, where, why and how of the task; this exposes missing information and decisions not yet considered, and employees cannot meet an unclear expectation.
2. Communication. Arrange a meeting with the people receiving the task rather than conveying it in passing. Keep the meeting focused on the task, explain the who, what, when, where, how and why, connect the work to what matters to the employee, and ask whether further information is needed.
3. Commitment. Ensure agreement and understanding rather than assuming that stating the task secures them. Listen to tone and word choices and watch body language; ask what the employee thinks and what difficulties they anticipate so obstacles can be addressed early. Consider asking each person in a group to recap their to-do list before ending the meeting, or an individual to repeat their action items to check that all necessary information was given.
4. Consequences. Explain the positive and negative consequences: the advantage of completing the project as expected and what follows from poor execution. Establish, define and consistently follow accountability structures; everyone, including the manager, needs to know whom they are accountable to, whom they are accountable for and what they are accountable for.
5. Coaching. Set a specific follow-up meeting time before leaving the assignment meeting, rather than simply offering to answer questions. Use follow-up to recognise good work, help with obstacles and identify misunderstandings in time to reset the course before the deadline. Listen well, watch closely and ask appropriate questions. A scheduled report on progress increases accountability and helps people prepare; a lack of progress or preparation can reveal a potential performance problem before the project is due.

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Practice and self-review

After setting an expectation, managers should rate their execution of all five steps, acknowledge what went well and identify improvements for next time. ⁶ A new behaviour takes practice, with progress and possible regression, and practice should continue until it becomes second nature. ⁶