The Challenge
 No
matter how hard you try, members of that other department
never seem happy. You know that what you provide to them is
critical to the end product, and you put your all into your
part of the process. But at every project meeting, you find
yourself getting beaten up about something that wasn't ‘quite
right.’ And what's really irritating is that they're
always making last minute requests of you, with very little
information to go on.
In conversations with colleagues in your
department, you find you're not ‘alone’
they are experiencing similar scenarios with that group. So
the topic of conversations among your department is about
how that other department does nothing but complain. And you
have an inkling that similar conversations are going on among
them about your department, and how you never deliver what
is needed. Productivity and morale is down, as people's energy
is tied up in talking about øthose other ‘guys.’
Relationships that are critical to business results are tenuous,
at best.
Too many of us have experienced situations
like the one described above. As demands on people increase,
and the focus centers on results, clear communication of expectations
between departments, customers/suppliers, or managers and
their teams seems to deteriorate. This results in rework or
work-arounds, lower quality products and services, unhappy
customers, and frustrated people, who feel stuck in a game
of “guess what I need and how I need it.”
The Opportunity
There is a way to get out of such situations—or
avoid getting into them in the first place! By engaging in
a process called Shared Expectations, groups will experience
more productive, effective relationships with one another.
Share Expectations enables groups to:
- engage in an
open, honest dialogue with each other.
- ensure that
an effective business partnership exists between them.
- clearly and
effectively communicate expectations and priorities to each
other.
- discuss both
the current and desired levels of performance relative to
the expectations.
- identify where
they need to work together to close the uncovered gaps.
- commit to regular reviews of progress
in meeting expectations.
The Outputs
- Documented,
clarified, prioritized expectations
- A mutual understanding
of key expectations
- A measure of
the gap between current and desired performance for each
expectation
- A jointly developed
Action Plan to reduce/close gaps, beginning with the highest
priority items
- A commitment
to monitor progress and re-calibrate current performance
levels
The Benefits
Although Shared Expectations requires
a time commitment up-front, the benefits are numerous, including:
- Provides a validated
focus on where to put energy/resources (avoids rework!)
- Allows for alignment
of expectations within each group
- Encourages a
proactive versus reactive approach to avoiding problems
- Increases understanding
of how each group’s actions impact the other
- Encourages
on-going feedback between groups
- Produces improved
business results; increased customer satisfaction
What Shared Expectations is Not
- A survey or
questionnaire—instead, it requires people to talk to
each other.
- A “finger-pointing”
session—the intent is to work to make things better,
not to “dump” on each other.
- A single, one-time
event—the dialogue that begins with Shared Expectations
becomes a way to communicate on a regular basis.
- A problem identification
session—the process focuses on key expectations—not
just problems.
- A focus on only
what’s “wrong”; it’s an opportunity
to share with others which expectations they are meeting,
and to encourage them to continue to do so.
- A tool only
for strained partnerships--it’s a great way to strengthen
good relationships, too.
- A cookie-cutter
approach—the process rarely looks the same for everyone;
it is easily customized to each unique situation
Process Steps
 |
|
|
|
| |
Meeting with both groups present
1 full day |
Follow through on commitments
Usually 1- 6 months |
Review of action plan and expectations with both groups
present
half day |
|
