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 we expected in the strategy, but I didn’t make sure our views matched. 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 her. It was nothing like I imagined, 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 better received. We survived the review with our management, but it didn’t go as well as it could have, 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 lined up. It cost us not only additional work but also trust in the relationship. I blow 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 out of alignment it’s like getting punched in the stomach. It is up to the leader to ensure a clear alignment of expectations by 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 rework. This is a “measure twice, cut once” application; A little extra work up front to ensure alignment can save a lot of pain downstream.
Do you need help to better define and stay aligned with expectations? Consider the following five tips:
- Be clear about what, who and when – Aligning 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 the expectations of others 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, be it a table of contents, an image, or some other medium that brings clarity to what appears “done”.
- Take regular checkpoints – Develop an agreed tracking pace to ensure progress on deliverables is on track and any deviations can be caught early. Check out my article on Fostering a Culture of Following for more information.
- Describe clear actions if there is a deviation from the deliverable – Certainly it is 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 stakeholder agreement.
- Articulate the consequences of misaligned expectations – When expectations are misaligned, be clear about both the business impact and how stakeholders are affected. For example, misaligned expectations can mean a delay in the 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, well-defined expectations alignment means less friction in execution. Your team needs it.
