From the pages of In Business magazine.
I am a big fan of words, which probably explains why I chose a career in writing. I particularly like how you can take an unpleasant concept and pretty it up just by changing a few words. Anyone in PR or advertising knows what I’m talking about.
Take “social engineering.” It classically refers to the efforts made by governments, media, or private groups to influence specific attitudes and social behaviors among the populace in order to produce desired characteristics in a target population.
That’s really just a definition for manipulation, right? But “social engineering” sounds so much nicer!
I use a similar linguistic tactic in my own life. I’m not big on setting the bar high when I make goals for myself — both in my personal and professional life — because I like my goals to actually be achievable. What’s the opposite of a high bar? A low one, and it’s something I’ve been derogatorily accused of setting on a few occasions. So I prefer to say I set realistic expectations.
At work we can sometimes run into differences of opinion with managers about what’s realistic. There are plenty
of reasons why this might happen. Maybe your supervisor has never actually done your job so she doesn’t know how long
a specific task takes to complete. Or if you report to more than one manager, Manager B might not realize he set a deadline that competes with a project you’re already working on for Manager A.
Regardless of whether it’s a revenue target you don’t think is achievable, a sales quota you don’t believe your team can meet, or something else entirely, you have to manage unrealistic expectations with your manager and find ways to set realistic ones.
Here are four tips you can use the next time you’re met with an unreasonable request at work:
1. Address the issue immediately.
It’s never fun telling your boss that you can’t handle your workload, but there may be a very good reason why. Perform some due diligence at the outset if you believe expectations are unrealistic; if they are, start the conversation sooner rather than later and present your manager with the evidence you gathered to show why.
2. Don’t whine — ask.
Let’s face it, your boss doesn’t want to hear you complain about why you can’t meet expectations. Instead, try shifting the conversation to everything you need to meet the goals. This actually gives you the power in the discussion. Not to mention it tells your boss that you are willing to perform a task or assignment, but you just need a little support to make it achievable.
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3. Understand why the expectations are important.
Sometimes we just don’t have the full picture, and that door swings both ways. You know what it takes to do your job successfully day-to-day, but you may not be fully aware why your manager’s expectations are important to the company. Conversely, executives might not be aware of the limitations that exist in your role. Talk to your manager about how these expectations
fit into the larger picture.
4. Focus on the resources.
You can accomplish almost anything with unlimited resources. Since that’s not realistic, focus on what you can accomplish with more resources. Without asking for something you know you won’t get, identify the resources you need to be successful and outline how those resources will be used. Be realistic.
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