Managing Expectations

Early in my career, I took on a project where I had to work for a tough boss and a demanding client. I wasn’t daunted by the challenge. I was confident and willing to work hard. But I was also naïve.

I tackled a number of ambitious projects for this client, each with aggressive deadlines. Most of them went fine, but one project was particularly challenging. The primary development was being handled by an external vendor with expertise in an area that we needed. We had limited control over what the vendor could deliver and when they would have it ready. Deadlines were missed, and products didn’t always perform as specified. I ended up having some very uncomfortable conversations with my boss and, even worse, the client, who had a volatile personality.

It was during this project that I learned the importance of managing expectations, especially in the context of disappointing information.

There’s a saying in the manufacturing sector: “It’s less expensive to fix a problem on the drawing board than it is to fix it on the assembly line, and it’s less expensive to fix it on the assembly line than when the product is in the hands of the customer.”

In other words, if you have to give someone bad news, the earlier you communicate, the better. The impact is less costly - and less stressful - when critical information is received early enough to take corrective action.

But managing expectations is more than just controlling expenses and pushing a product out the door on time. It’s a demonstration of respect and character. It impacts your reputation and your relationships with others, in our public lives and in our personal lives, as well. 

The client that I worked for all of those years ago eventually lost confidence in me because of the way that I handled difficult situations. After a year of managing her projects, and despite numerous successes, we reached a point where my services were no longer valued, and I needed to move on to a different position. 

If you value your relationship with someone, the importance of managing their expectations cannot be overstated. If you have to share bad news with that person, it’s probably best not to delay. Make the delivery as gentle as possible, but tell the truth, and tell them as soon as you can. Give them a chance to process the information and if possible to make amends. They will appreciate the fact that you cared about how it would impact them.

There were a couple of instances in recent years where people had to give me bad news. Unfortunately, I received the information later than I would have liked and too late for my response to make a difference. It was difficult. These were people that I respected and trusted, but the way that they handled things made me feel as though they didn’t have much respect or concern for me. The upshot was that once flourishing relationships degraded beyond repair.

If you care about someone, whether in a professional context or in your personal life, do your best to manage their expectations. Don’t hide bad news from them or delay in making difficult decisions. Problems grow more serious over time. Delaying your response to them only makes the situation worse.

Copyright © 2018 Daniel R. South 

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