State Your Expectations

Your expectations impact satisfaction, so why do we avoid sharing them? An abundance of workplace conflict is based on the lack of communicating our expectations. How does this happen? We assume that our expectations are clear and apparent. Yet upon reflection, we become aware that we assume the expectations are understood even though we never stated them clearly…and sometimes not at all.

Say what you expect. Say what you need. Ask the other person if clarification is needed. As the situation evolves and expectations are revised, we must also communicate that. General rule of thumb, expectations cannot be met if they are not known.

An example of a typical conversation:

Manager: She knew what I wanted and didn’t deliver. Me: How did you communicate your expectations? Manager: I didn’t think I needed to...obviously, she should have known. Me: What can you do to improve the results next time? Manager: Maybe, I should state my expectations? Me: Great idea!

We often assume others know the thoughts and expectations going through our mind, but no one is a mind reader. State your expectations. That is the ONLY way others can truly know your thoughts.