We can all get better at setting expectations for ourselves and for others. It does wonders for trust.
In their book, The Art of Possibility, Benjamin and Roz Zander explore how any kind of leader — a teacher, manager, or parent — has two choices when it comes to expectations:
1. Set targets as an expectation to live up to 2. Offer expectations as a possibility to live into
The second approach is far more motivating. Imagine setting expectations for yourself or for your teams that move away from measurement and into a space of possibility. Benjamin Zander gives all his students an A grade at the start of the year, but on one condition: they have to write a letter dated the following May describing what they did to achieve the A grade, and explain the person they will become at the end this journey.
We tend to treat A students quite differently from students who are given a C - much like we might treat average-performing team members differently to the high fliers.
It’s a simple but significant shift in the framing of expectations that can have a huge impact on performance: From living up to expectations to living into possibilities.
So, where in your life can you set yourself an ‘A’ grade as a possibility to live into?
Ok, here's mine:
I'm going to give myself an A for the possibility of not being afraid to bring contrasts into my work e.g. striking and challenging.
I give myself an A, for allowing my instincts and intuitions to have credibility and affect my life and work outcomes. If not me, who will?