Setting Expectations – Getting Expectations

In my ongoing effort to manage my work and my workload, I tend to look for new ways to accommodate more and more. Reflecting on this, I think the answer may be simpler – so I have begun looking at “old ways” of doing work – sort of a “back to basics” approach that looks at fundamental elements – outcomes, timelines, context, and priorities. Rephrasing, I ask myself, “What are the expectations?”

Many of us have responsibility for delegating work to others and nearly all of us have responsibility for work that gets delegated to us. When we delegate work, we generally have a good idea of what our expectations are, but have we shared those expectations clearly?

What are the outcomes (deliverables, work product, results)?
What are the timelines (for milestones, for updates, for final delivery)?
What is the context of the request (while not absolutely necessary, it really does help to share the context with our colleagues)?
What is the priority for the request (importance relative to other requests)?

We all know that good managers should set clear expectations when they delegate, but what is our responsibility when work is delegated to us?

What are the outcomes (a report, a spreadsheet, an email message and who is the audience)?
What are the timelines (critical dates; and will an update replace the need for follow up)?
What is the context of the request (it may help with understanding and prioritization)?
What is the priority for the request (balanced with other requests and normal workload)?

What if the expectations are not clear or if we are uncertain? Do we know the outcomes, timelines, context, and priority? Well if we don’t, we need to; so ask, probe, question. We do it anyway (perhaps privately or with others), so why not go to the source and get clarification? This is fundamental to accountability and responsiveness – and that is our responsibility.

So when you delegate, do your colleagues a favor – set expectations. And when you are being delegated to, do yourself a favor – get expectations. It’s as simple as that.