I’m managing a website redesign at work and I’ve been reviewing different parts of the site with various stakeholders.
After one meeting, I realized the importance of setting the expectations for the meeting so everyone in the meeting knows what to expect.
There’s something about setting expectations that feels both helpful and dangerous. It’s helpful in that we’re all now committing together towards a shared outcome. It’s dangerous in that now your results can be measured against the expectations you set.
If at the end of the meeting, the day, the project, you haven’t met the expectations you set, what happens next?
Is there grace to reset the expectations to something achievable? If so, what did setting the expectations really accomplish?
Are there consequences for missing the mark? If not, what was the point in setting the expectations in the first place?