Don’t they? Ever immerse yourself in a project where you were confident your team, your boss, or others involved would have the same process? Yeah, me too. And, even though everyone wants the same outcome, the process and mindset make success complex. That’s the human experience. The best we can do is to align expectations and assumptions before launching into the project. And that’s a LOT. Next time you have a project involving multiple inputs, start with the expectations for each participant, both by outcome and by time commitment. In short, ‘Provide the summary of the article with 3 takeaways by next Friday’ has clear expectations that you can confirm. But don’t leave out the assumption, if any. I might assume you have the article or that you know I’m looking for financially-related takeaways, which leaves you able to meet the expectation in your mind, but not mine. Check your assumptions, communicate those along with your expectations for your best opportunity for success.
Everyone Thinks Like Me…
About the Author: Judy Hissong, CLM

Judy Hissong is the President of Nesso Strategies. A former law firm Chief Operating Officer, she helps firms become more profitable by advising leaders in strategic and leadership development challenges. Her mission is “world domination for Good.” By creating actionable, lightbulb moments that leaders want to share and spread, she intends to improve the world one person at a time. When she’s not speaking, training and consulting, Judy teaches quarterly online workshops and facilitates Leaders Lab, a monthly video conference that enables small groups of leaders to brainstorm strategies and solutions to work through common issues that keep firms stuck. Learn more at www.nessostrategies.com.