It's All About Expectations....
Have you ever experienced a situation like this?
Your manager gives you a special project. You work day and night to deliver the best possible result that you could ever imagine. You’re thrilled with your creativity, productivity, attention to detail and accomplishments. You really rocked it! You are excited to walk into your managers office and share the results of your project, and the process that you created to help produce those results.
But…you quickly see that this was not what your manager was expecting. You can see the disappointment on their face. You can read the confusion in their eyes. Your excitement starts to wane at this response and your spirits start to sag. At some point the two of you will realize that you are on different paths. Completely different paths.
The typical next step is for your manager to tell you what they were, specifically, expecting from you. All of this discussion takes place after the fact. After all of the work, all of the motivation and excitement. Now you have to start over. I’ve certainly been there before. What about you?
Needless to say this was a valuable lesson for me. In response to this situation, I created a standard list of questions that I now incorporate into new project efforts and activities. Based on what I have experienced, and learned, I want to make sure that I fully understand what people are expecting of me in my role. It certainly makes the process flow a lot smoother!
Recently I have been seeing a lot of articles on issues relating to staff turnover, dissatisfied end-users, companies not meeting their strategic goals and disengaged project team members. I would like to suggest that there could be a pattern emerging and it’s all about expectations.
For instance, as a Project Lead, do you regularly discuss roles and responsibilities with your new project team members? Have you discussed the expectations of those roles? Have you taken the time to tell the individuals on your team how they, personally, will be contributing to the overall goals of the organization? Consider including these topics into the Kick-Off meeting with your next project team. By providing the project team members with a clear understanding of what is expected of them, in their role, you will be setting them up for success!
On an organizational level, I have witnessed companies that have shared expectations that are not clear or specific. It’s not a good sign when the first question staff members are thinking is “What does that mean?” And the situation could get worse if the staff don’t understand what is being asked of them or how their work will be contributing to the overall goals of the organization. Yet, organizations that have unrealistic expectations can be even more dangerous. Lofty goals put a lot of pressure on the staff and project teams. Everyone is jumping through hoops, and over hurdles, trying to achieve these goals yet the team members know that the goals are close to impossible.
Some expectations are cloudy - especially in todays environment, but there are some actions we can take to make the situation more comfortable for everyone.
Project Leads can begin by asking the Project Sponsor detailed questions about the project. For instance, “How will the project benefit the organization?” And “Is the project tied to the organizations strategic plan?” And my favorite, “When we successfully deliver this project, what does it look like to you? What do you envision in your mind when this project comes to fruition?”
As the Project Lead you can then share the answers to these questions with the project team which will help them understand how their individual contributions will contribute to the organization. This will enable the team members to align their roles and responsibilities with the expectations of the Project Sponsor.
Organizationally, I would suggest that introducing the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Bound) to your goal setting discussions can help your organization stay on track with realistic expectations.
In addition to using the SMART criteria, the development, and use, of a comprehensive communication plan that will inform your staff, customers, vendors and stakeholders of the organizational goals and expectations would be extremely beneficial.
Personally, I feel that we should all be asking more questions about our assigned roles and responsibilities. In order for us to be successful in our role, we need our managers to provide us with the clarity we need to deliver results. Start the discussion! If your manager is not having this discussion with you, it’s time for you to kick it off!
Most importantly, by having these discussions, you are setting yourself, and the project team, up for success!
Go for it! Have the discussion!