The Importance of Declaring Expectations

The Importance of Declaring Expectations
Gerardo Herrero Morales
Instructor of International Negotiation | Entrepreneur | Director of Training and Strategic Consulting

Declaring expectations in a relationship between one person and another (or others) is a very healthy exercise—what we colloquially call in Mexico “reading the rulebook” to someone. There are plenty of examples: it can be when a couple wants to take their relationship to the next level and get married, or when a candidate starts a relationship with a potential boss, a client-distributor relationship, etc.

The benefits include, among others:

1. Reduction in the probability of future conflicts.

2. Opportunity to negotiate hidden or open differences.

3. Knowing whether the parties are compatible and can create synergy.

4. Knowing whether the relationship is progressing as expected.

5. Alignment of common goals.

6. Expressing oneself openly, which helps avoid hidden resentments.

7. Establishing boundaries for unacceptable behaviors from the start.

8. Achieving harmony within a work team.

9. Improving the work environment.

10. Avoiding the negative stress that a crisis can cause.

11. Greatly helping to set realistic goals in line with the resources available.

12. Creating a work culture with a company’s own identity.

For the declaration of expectations to work, the following is needed:

1. That the declaration is bidirectional, as in a couple deciding to have a child or move homes, or between a boss and subordinate on a new project, or an instructor and participants, a contractor and a homeowner, etc.

2. That the declaration is multidirectional, as in a work team pursuing goals where roles are clear from the beginning.

3. To speak with total honesty and without reservations.

4. To maintain open and respectful communication between the parties.

5. To balance rights and responsibilities, avoiding any abuse from one side over the other.

The act of declaring expectations helps all parties involved get to know each other much better. Likewise, it significantly increases the chances of success between the people and the projects they undertake together.

All rights reserved © 2019, Eng. Gerardo Herrero Morales.