I have been writing articles about “Positive Leadership in Project Management” for several years. The reason for choosing this particular title as the main theme for each article is directly connected to my belief that project managers, when assigned to a project, are assuming a position of leadership regardless of project size. A positive, motivational, and inspiring attitude is essential for personal success and the success of the team and the project. Leadership is about creating change, taking risks, setting an example, and having the courage to keep trying when previous attempts did not work.
Leadership is about filling people with a sense of confidence during difficult times, taking the edge off in times of great stress, and providing followers with a sense of purpose and a belief that they can succeed in reaching their goals. Success is, in part, achieved when a set of goals and objectives have been clearly stated and the team understands and strives for defined and accepted success criteria.
Leadership, if you really think about it begins with the development of a set of clear expectations. Unfortunately, in many cases, expectations are set in a very informal and sometimes hostile environment. When a new leader is assigned to a position it is very common to encounter and observe some type of dialog among several employee and managerial levels about the incoming leader and what to expect. Much of this dialog is based on hearsay, rumors and unsubstantiated information. Assumptions are formed, judgments are made and plans for dealing with the new leader are often created before the leader’s position actually becomes official or the new leader is introduced. These assumptions may lead to an uncomfortable environment for communication and could cause some serious issues in the areas of morale and productivity and create an uncomfortable workplace environment. The newly assigned leader, upon some observation of the organization he or she is joining, may begin to set some expectations regarding organizational or specific individual performance without actually observing behaviors and performance or conducting any formal discussions with other leaders or employees. This lack of dialog, unsubstantiated communication and setting of “spontaneous expectations” may lead to a serious breakdown in many performance areas and create conflict that could have otherwise been avoided.
Truly effective leaders understand that setting expectations “intentionally” is one of the key factors associated with organizational success. By “intentionally” I mean the leader schedules a specific session to discuss issues, concerns, visions, ideas, and ultimately expectations with an individual or a team of representatives from a business entity. It is also very important to understand that expectations are different from goals and objectives.
Goals relate to vision, aspirations and a desired state. Everyone has personal goals such as becoming independently wealthy. Organizations have goals such as becoming the consumer’s number one choice for products and services.
Objectives are stepping stones to achieving goals. Most project managers are familiar with the term “SMART” objectives:
- Specific – Clearly stated, detailed, focused
- Measurable – Can be tracked and measured as in quantity, numerical data or comparative analysis
- Achievable – Feasible, actionable and can be accomplished by the person or team assigned
- Realistic – Are meaningful and are not beyond the capabilities of the individual or team and will produce a useful or value adding result
- Time Based – Will be accomplished within a reasonable and agreed upon date.
Objectives answer the What, Who, When, Why, How, and Where questions. We need objectives to set direction and to make sure employees and teams know what they must accomplish.
Expectations are associated with objectives but have several differences. Expectations are more like agreements between people about how to proceed with an assignment; how reviews will be conducted during the execution of an assignment; how communication will be managed; the level of quality, timeliness, and reliability of information; and how changes will be managed. As an example, a leader or manager may set the following expectation: “During this assignment I expect you to contact me immediately following a report of any safety violation” or “I expect you to keep me informed of major changes the customer may request.” Expectations are set in many ways. They can be communicated and established by what is said or not said, what someone else may have said, or an action or inaction. It is important to ask the following questions to better understand a situation: How was this expectation set? Who set it? When was it set? How did you find out about the expectation? What can you do about it? These may be good questions but they are somewhat reactive. It may be more effective to ask the following questions first:
- What am I expecting from the team or the individual?
- What do I know about the team or the individual?
- What is important to me regarding the assigned work or project? How important is timeliness? How important is format? How important is quality and ascetics?
- How well does the assigned individual know the process?
- How familiar is the individual with organizational polices?
- What is expected of me?
- How can I make sure that my expectations are clearly stated and understood?
- What is required to develop and deliver a clear expectation?
- What does the individual need to ensure a successful assignment?
The next time you have a conversation with a colleague about a dissatisfied client or manager or other business associate, you will probably hear someone say “you didn’t manage their expectations.” Think about that statement. There is probably quite a bit of truth in those 5 words. If we use a familiar technique known as root cause analysis it is possible to understand that many problems are created due to a lack of clearly defined and explained expectations. A simple form of root-cause analysis requires a clearly stated and specific problem statement (this requires some practice to develop workable problem statements but it is essential for the process to work effectively) and then a few basic categories to work with. The most common categories are:
- People
- Equipment and Machines
- Methods
- Materials
Think about a situation in which your expectations were not fully met. Then ask yourself how you know they were not met. What were you expecting? Can you clearly articulate your expectations? After some initial analysis you can probably generate a problem statement that specifically states or describes the expectations that were not met. For example: Performance has not reached the desired level. This is actually only a partial problem statement. Then ask “What performance is in question? Is it timeliness, a specific skill, absenteeism, following office policies, completing assignments, productivity, or knowledge and comprehension to name a few. Use this information to clarify the problem statement and ensure that you, and others that may be involved, fully understand the problem. A clear problem statement is essential for the process to work effectively.
Using the people category in the root cause analysis process to begin with, brainstorm reasons why the problem exists.
Example:
Problem statement: The employee does not fully complete assignments and all assignments require revisions by the manager.
Root cause analysis category: People
Root causes – Insufficient skills, instructions were not clear, work overload, employee unwilling to complete assignments, poor attitude, unable to learn.
These are just a few examples, but from this information it is fairy easy to determine that clearly defined expectations may be the real problem. There certainly may be other factors involved here but before taking drastic performance improving measures and disciplinary actions it may be a good idea to evaluate how effectively expectations were communicated in the first place. It is also important to understand the competency level of the individual or team involved. Many managers become involved in time consuming negotiations and legal issues with employees who were disciplined or dismissed for performance reasons when the real reason for the performance issue is directly connected to expectations that were not provided clearly and efficiently and managed on a regular basis. Think of the process of setting clear expectations as a form of prevention (it could be considered a form of risk management) against some major human resource problems.
The other factors: equipment, methods, and materials may also contribute to the problem therefore it is important to look at the whole picture before developing solutions and plans for action.
The good news here is that the analysis of one particular problem can result in a solution or set of solutions that will prevent new problems from developing. A process for defining, communicating and managing expectations can be created which could result in higher levels of performance in many areas, improve morale, and reduce the unpleasantness that often accompanies a performance appraisal.
It is the leader’s role to create a vision, set direction, and inspire followers. It is also the responsibility of the leader to establish a work environment where people know what is expected of them and that they can expect to be treated fairly and with respect. Expectations involve both sides and require serious effort to develop them, communicate them and follow through on them. The results of well communicated and managed expectations benefit everyone and can make a significant difference in the overall performance of an organization and can have a very positive impact on organizational culture.
© 2010 allPM.com
Frank P. Saladis, PMP is Senior Consultant with International Institute for Learning, Inc. He has been involved in the development of standardized Project Management Guidelines (PMGs) for the AT&T Corporate Information Technology Services (Corporate ITS) organization and is the author of the Project Evaluation Review Process (PERP). He is the recipient of the 2006 PMI Linn Stuckenbruck person of the year award.
