Manage Expectations

While there are certain objective truths (e.g. the earth is flat1I’m joking.), many aspects of life are subjective. Your work performance is one of them.

Publicly traded companies see their share prices rise or fall based on their quarterly performance. But is there an objective standard for good performance? No, a company is said to have done well if it “beat expectations” set by Wall Street analysts. Companies attempt to manage these expectations by issuing “guidance”.

Similarly, there is no objective standard for good performance as an employee. Therefore, it is crucial to issue your own guidance to managers, coworkers, clients, etc. Otherwise, you may find your hard work go unappreciated simply because others expected more or different.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *