Clear Expectations Lead to Great Partnerships
Clear Expectations Lead to Great Partnerships
I find self saying this to every one of my clients at one time or another. This caveat applies to all relationships in business and, if you think about it, in all other relationships as well. When dealing with partners, employees, vendors, clients, etc. it is imperative that you each know what others are expecting of you and of the situation. Unless these expectations are clearly articulated by all parties at the beginning of any relationship you will be in for a bumpy ride.
You cannot assume that other people are aware of your expectations, anymore than you can assume you know what they expect. Each person has the responsibility to make sure that his/her expectations are understood by everyone else involved in the relationship… I said understood, I did not say accepted. This is where negotiation, consensus and agreement come into the equation. Everyone may not have realistic expectations. And even if they are realistic others may not foresee the same outcomes.
Unless you are a mind reader you will not know exactly what others think. You need to investigate in detail what they expect to happen. Discussing and clarify expectations at the outset protects you and the relationship. Know what you want and what you are willing to give. Find out as clearly as possible what the others believe, want and are willing to give. Figure out what the commitments of each person will be and how they and you are expected to behave.
Just because you expect someone to behave as you would in a given situation, they may not. Don’t be surprised. We find that people are unpredictable because we base our predictions (expectations) on our perspective. I call this the “I would never do that syndrome”. Maybe you wouldn’t but your values are not the same as other people’s values, and values control behaviors.
What you are willing to do and not do equates to setting your boundaries. If you are not clear upfront others may push unwanted responsibilities onto you or treat you in unwanted ways. You must be clear and make known what you will and will not tolerate. For example, if you are an outside consultant, you may need to state that you expect to have only one contact person in the organization and not be drawn into internal disagreements.
There are usually firm agreements in business relationships regarding such things as deliverables, terms of payment, and time lines. However, there can be many expectations that do not get written into standard contracts. There are many reasons to uncover and agree on these seemingly minor details early on and in writing. One important reason is that these hidden expectations more often than the larger issues are what ruin relationships. Misunderstandings cause arguments, and blame abounds. Settling disputes arising from unclear (and oftentimes verbal) expectations help attorneys thrive.
As Margaret Mitchell says, "Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect”. And neither are other people, especially if they don’t know what we expect." So, always get the expectations clear up front!
Clear Expectations Lead to Great Partnerships - To learn more about this author, visit Jean Charles's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
“Get the expectations clear up front”.
I find self saying this to every one of my clients at one time or another. This caveat applies to all relationships in business and, if you think about it, in all other relationships as well. When dealing with partners, employees, vendors, clients, etc. it is imperative that you each know what others are expecting of you and of the situation. Unless these expectations are clearly articulated by all parties at the beginning of any relationship you will be in for a bumpy ride.
You cannot assume that other people are aware of your expectations, anymore than you can assume you know what they expect. Each person has the responsibility to make sure that his/her expectations are understood by everyone else involved in the relationship… I said understood, I did not say accepted. This is where negotiation, consensus and agreement come into the equation. Everyone may not have realistic expectations. And even if they are realistic others may not foresee the same outcomes.
Unless you are a mind reader you will not know exactly what others think. You need to investigate in detail what they expect to happen. Discussing and clarify expectations at the outset protects you and the relationship. Know what you want and what you are willing to give. Find out as clearly as possible what the others believe, want and are willing to give. Figure out what the commitments of each person will be and how they and you are expected to behave.
Just because you expect someone to behave as you would in a given situation, they may not. Don’t be surprised. We find that people are unpredictable because we base our predictions (expectations) on our perspective. I call this the “I would never do that syndrome”. Maybe you wouldn’t but your values are not the same as other people’s values, and values control behaviors.
What you are willing to do and not do equates to setting your boundaries. If you are not clear upfront others may push unwanted responsibilities onto you or treat you in unwanted ways. You must be clear and make known what you will and will not tolerate. For example, if you are an outside consultant, you may need to state that you expect to have only one contact person in the organization and not be drawn into internal disagreements.
There are usually firm agreements in business relationships regarding such things as deliverables, terms of payment, and time lines. However, there can be many expectations that do not get written into standard contracts. There are many reasons to uncover and agree on these seemingly minor details early on and in writing. One important reason is that these hidden expectations more often than the larger issues are what ruin relationships. Misunderstandings cause arguments, and blame abounds. Settling disputes arising from unclear (and oftentimes verbal) expectations help attorneys thrive.
As Margaret Mitchell says, "Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect”. And neither are other people, especially if they don’t know what we expect." So, always get the expectations clear up front!
Clear Expectations Lead to Great Partnerships - To learn more about this author, visit Jean Charles's Website.
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Michel NerayMichel Neray has over 25 years of experience as an award-winning copywriter, an Internet pioneer, a tradeshow pitchman and a senior sales and marketing executive. An online pioneer, he was one of the first marketing professionals to embrace the Internet by building websites as early as 1993. In 1994, Michel co-authored a book entitled "The Great Crossover: Personal Confidence in the Age of the Microchip", which made it to Jack Canfield's Achiever's Recommended Reading List. Michel founded Portfolios.com in 1995, the world's first online source directory for creative professionals and one of the first websites based on community generated content. Since creating The Essential Message in 2003, Michel has helped thousands of independent professionals and entrepreneurs as well as growing corporations find a better way to differentiate, position and brand themselves. In 2005, his chapter "Everything Starts With A Conversation" was selected as the lead for the book, "Sales Gurus Speak Out" and re-published in 2008 for 'Awakening The Workplace Volume 3'. He is also a co-author of "In the Company of Leaders" (2008) with 40 top North American leadership experts. - Visit Michel Neray's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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 Jean Charles (Visit Jean's Website) Jean Charles is a business and relationship coach and author of Couplepreneurs: Prosperity Through Partnership. She has built several successful businesses individually and with partners and coaches entrepreneurs and Couplepreneurs to build profitable businesses and successful partnerships. Jean holds a Masters’ degree in Behavioral Sciences, an Occupational Therapy license, is a graduate of CoachU, and is licensed by the Relationship Coaching Institute. She is a former Board member of the New Jersey Professional Coaches Association, and is currently serving on the Board of the National Copreneurs Society. Reach her through her websites www.couple preneurs.com, www.justrig htcoach.com or email jean @justrightcoach.com.
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