Expectations Management

Expectations Management

WHAT IS IT (EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT)?

Expectation Management is the process of gathering, incorporating, and measuring stakeholder expectations during the life of a project

Expectation Management is necessary during the procurement, building, and delivering phases of projects

Expectations should be set at the beginning of the project and should be agreed upon by all members

WHAT IS IT (EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT)? (cont..)

Expectations are deeper and broader than requirements; they are your client’svision (or perception) of a future state or action, usually unstated but is critical to your success. (Alev, Manage Expectations …)

They (expectations) are sliced in two ways:

1. They are a primary measure of your success. In your client’s mind,satisfaction is how close you’re come to their expectations, not necessarilyhow close you were to the wording in the contract, or scope of work, or betteryet the performance criteria. In some instances, it may not even be the actualresults of the project but the process with which you arrive there.

2. Expectations drive all of your client’s actions and decisions. It’s not theireveryday duties of their assigned role or your very rational explanations thatdrive them, but their expectations. (Alev, Manage Expectations …)

WHY ALL THE HYPE?

Influencing Expectations

SOME CLOSING THOUGHTS

WHEN TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS?

HOW TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS?

• Know the expectation. Sometimes, just knowing the standard makes a difference. If I am supposed to meet a friend at 7:00, but he tells me there is chance that he will run late if traffic is bad, I might bring a book. I am managing my expectations.

• Change the expectation. And if waiting around is not acceptable, I can simply change the expectation. Perhaps I reschedule the date, or push the time back to 7:30. Again, I am managing my expectations.

• Deal with the expectation. There are, of course, times when you won’t agree on the expectations, even if they are clear to both sides. While that is never easy, it still gives you a chance to choose. If my friend doesn’t want to reschedule, I can choose to cancel, or I can wait for him if he runs late. Having the choice to pick from two bad options is far better for most people than being surprised.

Mismatched Expectations

Managing expectations to prevent conflict

Managing Expectations Principles

1) Understand the Environment

2) Know the Audience

3) Design the Strategy

4) Plan the Tactics

The Expectations Management Matrix –A Tool for Setting and Monitoring Expectations