Some time ago I was the executive sponsor responsible for developing a facilities strategy for a new line of business. I authorized one of my project managers to develop the strategy that we would jointly present to our management. We both had visions of what to expect in the strategy, but I didn’t make sure our views meshed. My project manager was very competent in his work; however, reading minds was not one of his abilities. The day before I presented the strategy, I took a tour with it. It was nothing like I envisioned, and I knew that the strategy in its current state would not be well received by our management. We did a fire drill to get the strategy to a state where I thought it would be more received. We survived the review with our management, but it didn’t go as smoothly as it could have gone, and we went through a lot of pain (including a sleepless night) to rework the strategy.
I don’t blame the project manager one bit for the misstep. It was totally up to me that the strategy wasn’t what I was thinking of because I didn’t make sure our expectations were aligned from the start. I also didn’t put checkpoints along the way to make sure we stayed aligned. It cost us not only additional work but also trust in the relationship. I blew it.
Unfortunately, my story is just one of many I have seen and experienced over the years where expectations were not aligned. Because of my experiences, I’ve become manic about setting and aligning expectations, so much so that when I get misaligned it’s like getting punched in the stomach. It is at the feet of the leader to ensure a clear alignment of expectations when empowering someone to do something. Those leaders who just wait for someone to ask the right questions about what, who, and when to do something are only looking for frustration and reworking. This is a “measure twice, cut once” application; a little extra work up front to ensure alignment can save a lot of pain downstream.
Need help to better define and stay aligned with expectations? Consider the following five tips:
- Be clear about what, who and when – Alignment of expectations begins with an intentional understanding of what needs to be done, who needs to do it, and when it needs to be done. Be specific, including specific dates and designated owners. Also take the time to understand each other’s expectations and drive the achievement of a common vision.
- wireframe the deliverable – For a more complex deliverable, it may be worth structuring what the deliverable should look like, whether it be a table of contents, an image, or some other means that brings clarity to what appears “finished.”
- Take regular checkpoints – Develop an agreed follow-up pace to ensure progress on deliverables is on track and any deviations can be caught early. See my article on Fostering a Following Culture for more information.
- Describe clear actions if there is a deviation from the deliverable – It is certainly possible that there is a deviation in the deliverable, be it content, date or some other factor. Make sure there is clear agreement between stakeholders on how changes will be communicated, what decisions the deliverable owner can make, and what requires agreement between stakeholders.
- Articulate the consequences of misaligned expectations – When expectations misalign, be clear about both the business impact and how stakeholders are affected. For example, misaligned expectations may mean a late date that could affect subsequent activities. Being clear about the consequence helps keep everyone on the same page about the importance of producing a desired result on time.
As leaders, it’s your job to take the initiative to clearly align delivery expectations. In this “measure twice, cut once” approach, a well-defined alignment of expectations means less friction in execution. Your team needs it.
