Let´s talk about team building, expectations, results and satisfaction

Do you know the feeling when you deliver work to a boss or client after putting significant effort into it, and they tell you it is not what they were expecting? Even worse, when they don't say anything, but you can see it in their faces?

Has it never happened to you? Really? It happens too often instead?

In case you are in the first group, congratulations! I suppose you are in the early stages of your career or have mastered the expectation-setting skills already. If you are in the second group, I believe you are likely involved in work that is important for your organization yet haven't developed efficient communication with the people that matters.

While most professionals want to work on things that positively impact their teams, organization, and even community, the vast majority fail to validate if the outcome they produce will deliver the benefit needed.

Satisfaction is a direct consequence of the results delivered reduced by the expectations initially created and represented by the equation S = R / E. If expectations are not managed properly, it does not matter how much effort you put in or even what you deliver. It will always be measured down by the level of volume, quality, timing the receiving party had in their minds at the beginning. In fact, at the beginning of an assignment, the person has the best, and sometimes the only opportunity, to clarify and establish the right level of expectations.

So, in the future, before you start working on anything that will consume effort, make sure you:

• you understood what the ask is by repeating it back in your own words;

• ensured you have the required skills to produce it;

• there are no other commitments that may jeopardize your ability to work on it;

• considered additional time for surprises or difficulties, and

• validated the format and deadline for delivery.

One last suggestion is to downplay any optimism mentally and settle the conditions for delivery as minimally possible yet in line with what was requested. It will leave room for you to exceed expectations whenever possible and contribute to building your reputation as a reliable professional. Reliability is more important than speed, and everyone likes a reliable player.

Be safe!