The 4 W’s of Setting Expectations
It is Harder Than You Think
Setting clear expectations is one of the most critical behaviors in being a manager. At its core, it seems simple. You tell someone what you expect them to do or deliver. You’ll find that the doing is much more complicated.
The way to achieve this is through the 4 W’s – Who will do What by When and Why. In today’s post, I’ll break down each of these and give you good and bad examples.
Please note, this focuses on deliverables and not necessarily cultural aspects.
Who
Obviously, this is the individual who is responsible for the deliverable. If a manager talks one-on-one with someone, then the “who” is clear. When in group settings, the manager must be sure to call out the specific person who owns the task by name. If multiple people are working on a deliverable, then identify one person as the owner of the task and responsible for delivery.
Bad Example: “John, Mary, and Sue – pull together the data and get that to me.” Each may think the other will do it. Worse, they may all end up doing something different.
Good Example: “John, work with Mary and Sue to pull together the data, and you are responsible for delivering it to me”. Here, it is clear that John is the one who has clear responsibility for the deliverable.
Notice the manager didn’t have to make John a project leader or give him any special power. She simply gave him the responsibility.
What
This is the first spot where managers make big mistakes. Being able to communicate “the what” requires 2 things:
· being clear in your own mind about what you want and need
· providing enough information so the individual can be successful
Both of those things are more complicated than most of us would admit.
Being able to set someone up for success means clearly thinking through what you want and need from the deliverable. In some cases, it may be simple, but in many cases it requires more thinking that managers normally do. Returning to the example above – for the data, what are the parameters in terms of dates, locations, etc.? How does the manager want this data formatted and sent – Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint, email? Are there any specific data points to emphasize that have to be included and what does not need to be included?
Once you start to think of these details, you realize a lot can be mis- or uncommunicated. Yet each element, unanswered, leads to not meeting expectations.
Bad Example: “Pull the data for this year and compare it to last year”. I’m sure the data has multiple factors – does the manager just want dates and totals? How much of a breakdown? Is this for the last calendar year, fiscal year, or literally the last 365 days? In what format? Lots of questions that when they look at the data, they will have to figure out.
Good Example: “Pull the sales data for the last 3 full months and compare it to the same months last year. I need sales data broken out by region, but only totals – I don’t need it broken down to the product level. Put it in a PowerPoint slide using our standard template and email it to me. Shoot me a text when you send it so I can look at it right away and let you know if I need anything else.” Here the manager was able to give specifics of what was needed and what wasn’t needed. The manager also provided the format and how it should be delivered. There may still be questions, but it will be much easier for John, Mary, and Sue to get the right information.
When
This again seems like a simple part, but can easily become a sticking point. The best way to do this is with a date and time – nothing else. Also, consider the fact that you may need to review and prepare the data for how you will use it. If you need it for a meeting at 9 am on Monday, asking for it by 9 am gives you no time. Better to ask for it at 9 am on Friday so you can look at it, ask questions, adjust, and prepare for the meeting.
Bad Example: “Get this to me by the end of the week.” Does that mean on Friday morning, by the end of day on Friday (and what does end of day mean), or maybe even sometime over the weekend? Does the week end on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? If you get to work on Monday at 8am and John sends it by Monday at 7 am – have they met the deadline?
Good Example: “Get me this my noon, my time, on Friday. I’ll get a chance to review it and let you know if I need any changes before 4 pm on Friday.”
Two things:
Never say ASAP. That phrase has so many different connotations that it is almost guaranteed to cause issues.
Be sure your team has the psychological safety to push back on a timeframe if necessary. They may have a different project that is highly critical and need to be able to negotiate time and possibly have you assign it to someone else.
Why
This is something that many managers forget. After all, if they’ve clearly said what they want and by when, should the why matter? In almost every case, the individual doing the task will have a question of some sort. Knowing why the manager needs the information and how it will be used will help them make decisions without having to bother anyone. Even better, it enables them to do above and beyond and maybe give added value.
Bad Example: “I need this data for a meeting”. This doesn’t tell them anything – what meeting? With who? Why are you sharing this?
Good Example: “I am presenting this sales data to the Senior Leadership team so they can see the improvements we’ve made year over year. They’ve been asking about this and want to know if the changes we made to our sales process had any impact.” With this information, the team might be able to not only provide the high-level data, but also some key information that highlights the impact of the sales process. This information lets them add value.
Putting it Together
If the manager puts this all together, here is what it looks like:
“John, work with Mary and Sue to pull together the data, and you are responsible for delivering it to me. Pull the sales data for the last 3 full months and compare it to the same months last year. I need sales data broken out by region, but only totals – I don’t need it broken down to the product level. Put it in a PowerPoint slide using our standard template and email it to me. Shoot me a text when you send it so I can look at it right away and let you know if I need anything else. Get me this my noon, my time, on Friday. I’ll get a chance to review it and let you know if I need any changes before 4 pm on Friday. I am presenting this sales data to the Senior Leadership team so they can see the improvements we’ve made year over year. They’ve been asking about this and want to know if the changes we made to our sales process had any impact.”
That is a mouthful – but it sets the clear expectation. The managers has ensured that they have all the information they need to successfully complete the task.
Conclusion
It takes a lot of thought, planning, and communication to properly set expectations. The result is better for everyone.
Reflection question: How many times have you heard a manager give a task as thorough and helpful as this?