How to improve collaborations with an expectation agreement
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people
When you work with someone, the best investment is to clarify expectations – at the beginning of the cooperation, but also after some time of cooperation. Most interpersonal problems are based on differing expectations.
But how do set expectations? Create an expectation agreement:
- Keep it short: Have a maximum of 3 expectations in each direction
- Keep it simple: Use "I expect that you, X …" and "I expect that I, Martin…"
- Write it down, in full sentences - to avoid misinterpretations
- Agree on the expectation
- Have expectations accessible for both: Save in a place that you stumble upon regularly
- Review regularly: Ask "Are our expectations still valid, realistic and helpful?"
- Take a regular look to remind yourself of what you expect: Before interactions with your collaborator, such as a 1:1, have a quick look at the expectation
- Useful topics to consider for setting expectations:
- Who is responsible for what?
- What would make a collaboration beneficial and stress-free for both of us?