How to Align Management

and Employee Expectations

for Better Results and
Happier People

Dr. Eric B. Dent

 Simple illustration – taking out the trash
 All social interaction and workplace
performance depends on unwritten,
implicit expectations.
 Problems arise for two primary reasons
1. We fail to make our expectations explicit and we
fail to inquire about the other’s expectations.
2. We further assume that others share our
expectations
 Solution: make explicit expectations and
assumptions and inquire about those of
others
Typical managerial interaction
 Employee fulfills 11 of 12 expectations
 Manager is disappointed and thinks:
 “If I want a job done right, I have to do it
myself”
 “Maybe s/he isn’t as skilled as I thought”

 “S/he apparently doesn’t have as good a

work ethic as I thought”
Examples:
 Delegation
 Strategic hires
 Deepest – gift-giving
 Definition of a proper leader
 Roommates
 Going to Colombia (and back)
 Simplest use – coming home from work
Seinfeld – making explicit the
psychological contract
 How long do you keep a greeting card?
 Elaine has three dates with man who
has heart attack.
 Appropriate gift – cash or park bench
 “God bless you”
 Does soup constitute a meal?
 George leaves his car at work.
How to make it work
 Up front, try to make your expectations
explicit.
 Inquire to learn others’ expectations
 Surface the pinch point as early as
possible.
 Either resolve the explicit one (See
diagram) or articulate the implicit one
and resolve then
 Dr.eric.dent@gmail.com
 “Seinfeld” paper accessed free at:
http://
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstr
act_id=2326257
 http://
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstr
act_id=2778112