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Pitsel Power Minute Newsletter (06|01|09)

Expectations – Traps for the Unwary

Expectations that are unreasonable, unspoken and/or unmet create an unusually large numbers of problems for managers and organizations.

Unreasonable Expectations. Of course, what is unreasonable insofar as we are concerned may be perfectly reasonable to an employee. I often hear complaints about an attitude of “entitlement” supposedly held by many of our younger workforce. For many of them, having been brought up by parents who seek to give them everything (especially “stuff”), having gone through a school system where competition is downplayed in favour of cooperation, having played sports where everyone was a winner and got a medal, and where narcissism seems to be the prevalent personality disorder, the idea that they are not immediately granted the best of everything – office, work assignments, computers and other business tools, is shocking and unbelievable.

I’ve heard young workers complain that their computer system at home is far superior to the one they have been given at their work station – and you know what – they’re probably right.

Of course, these workers often think that our expectations are completely unreasonable as well. Continue to work after regular hours? Sorry, they have to go to running. Come in to work on a day off with their group to prepare for a major presentation? Sorry, they’re up snowboarding at Lake Louise. Offer to do some of the commonly required and often unassigned tasks such as cleaning up the lunch room or coffee cups? You mean the cleaners don’t do that? I’m not paid to be a servant.

“All progress” someone wrote, “depends on unreasonable men”. Back in the early 1900’s, expecting 4 weeks holiday a year would have been viewed as delusional. Unreasonable expectations are in the mind of the beholder. It’s more important to negotiate expectations than it is to whine about how unreasonable they appear to be.

Unspoken Expectations. Of course since we don’t often have conversations with our staff about their expectations (and frequently enough, not even about ours), it’s easy to see how things can begin to go off the rails. Oh, we might cover the basic things, such as rate of pay, hours of work, major job duties when the person first begins a new job, but when was the last time you sat down with any of your people who have been with you for more than 6 months, and talked about theirs – and your – expectations?

Again, if we look at generational differences, it may well be that the Gen Y people who work for you are looking for a lot more job related feedback than what you are use to giving, or even think they need. They are often people who have been raised with technology that gives instant feedback, and now they get one performance review annually (maybe).

"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves."

— Thomas Alva Edison

And what about you? Did you expect that people would be able to figure things out without having to come to you for advice or information? And did you, at the same time, tell them that your door was always open? No wonder that you are annoyed and they are confused.

Do you expect that they are going to work together as a happy, productive team but your compensation system allows you to give out individual bonuses and recognition to high achievers? No wonder your team thinks that you have favorites and you think some of them are lazy and unmotivated.

Do you expect that your group should take the initiative, and come up with creative solutions but you squelch the unrealistic and unreasonable ideas they put forward because they are too costly, too off-the-wall, or haven’t been tried successfully elsewhere? No wonder you think that the group leaves all the thinking to you and they see themselves a robots just doing the same old, same old.

Unmet Expectations. These are major contributors to lack of employee engagement, especially when staff believe that their expectations are reasonable and have been agreed to.

I have heard statements such as the following:

“They promised me if I got my certificate that I could move up into a supervisor’s position, but then they hired someone with a degree.”

“They told me that if I worked hard and stayed in this job for 2 years that I would have a shot at getting into another area I’m interested in, but instead they hired someone from outside.”

“They said that everyone in this company is treated equally, but I noticed that people with kids are always getting time off to go to school conferences, kid’s doctor appointments, and stuff while I have to cover for them while they are off.

Unmet expectations, especially when they have been expressed and agreed to, constitute a breakdown in trust. Bottom line? Don’t promise unless you are sure you can deliver. Don’t promise things as a method of motivating people – antecedents seldom are as effective as consequences.

Talk to your group today about their expectations – you might be surprised.

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