Expectations are difficult to control and impossible to turn off.
Mismatched expectations can lead to misunderstandings, frayed nerves, and ruffled feathers. More seriously, they often lead to flawed systems, failed projects, and a drain on resources.
Yet how often do you openly acknowledge these differences in expectations and take steps to better manage them? And how often are you a victim of your own expectations of yourself?
Would love tp hear thoughts on how you meet this challenge on a daily basis...
4 comments:
You are so wonderful honey I love you!
From my friend Keith Ramsey - I say, if your people crash, give them a hard boot! Then chant the mantra, "Ommm...that is not in the original project scope...ommmm!"
If you are a manager at any level, you have to think about
managing both up and down. Some managers pay attention
to managing either their own bosses or those people
who report to them. It is the managers who only manage
up who give managing the boss a less-than-stellar
reputation. They appear to be the suck-ups or toadies;
subordinates assume they don’t care about them and
may withhold their respect or slack off in their work. On
the other hand, the ones who only manage down can’t
advocate for their team or gain buy-ins for the project’s
endeavors from those up the chain. Successful managers
pay attention to managing both directions and communicating
with their peers.
Depend on your boss’s strengths and use them. You need
to determine his strengths. Whether those strengths are
communication, seeing the big picture, resource management,
new ideas, or something else, go to your boss
for his expertise. Get him to use his particular skills for
the project.
Say no. Say yes to the things that matter most to your boss. Say no to everything else and your boss will appreciate that you are focused on her needs. Remember that your boss doesn't always know everything you've got on your plate. So when she asks you to do something that you don't have time to do, ask your boss about her priorities. Let her know that you want to make sure you finish what is most important, and this will probably mean saying no to the lesser projects.
Good Reasons to Say No to Your Boss
Though you should give an assignment careful consideration before you turn it down, if your boss is fairly reasonable, he or she should be able to understand these reasons.
•There simply aren't enough hours in a day to work on it, even if I get to work early and stay late.
•My other work will suffer if I take on this assignment.
•I don't have the necessary skills to complete this project and I will not be able to attain them in time.
•If your reason for saying no to your boss is that you don't have enough time to work on the project, prepare a list of the other projects on which you're working. If he didn't delegate the other assignments to you, he may not even be aware of them. If he did assign the other projects, he may want you to work on the new one instead.
•If you think your other work will suffer if you take on another assignment, explain that to your boss. She will appreciate your honesty and your dedication to your other projects.
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