Manage Expectations Before They Manage You: Steve Blais

2012 International Institute for Learning, Inc., All rights reserved.
Intelligence, Integrity and Innovation


Manage Expectations Before
They Manage You
Steve Blais



Expectations are your client's vision of a future state or
action, usually unstated but which is critical to your success.
[David Alev]
The product
What the product will do for the organization
His / her involvement in the project
How the project will be executed
Satisfaction is how close you come to meeting their
expectations.
Expectations


The problem statement
Expectation that the problem will be solved
The vision
Critical Success Factors
Political Success Factors
Acceptance Criteria

Expectations Come From


Expectations are temporal
Expectations are learned
Expectations are assumed
Expectations can be contagious
Expectations can be stated or perceived (unstated)
Considerations about Expectations


Expectations are more easily managed when stated
When stated in a timely manner as in early in the project
When stated as expectations and not directives or orders
Many expectations go unstated
Assumed to be understood
Taken for granted
Unwritten part of contract or negotiation
Stated and Unstated (Perceived) Expectations



Identifying Expectations:
The Expectation of Change
Topic


Each change is part of an overall continuum that improves the business processes
Increases revenues or decreases cost
Change as Seen by the Business
Change
Change
Change
Change


Changes to the project are:
Interruptions or diversions in the project
Demonstrations that business does not know what it wants
Better done as a separate project
Threats to on-time, within budget delivery

Change as Seen by the Solution Team
The project is the change
The change is the project


Give team a broader and longer picture of the business process and
activities
Start with a compelling problem and assure a safe haven when the change
is done
Use more agile practices: iterative development and incremental delivery
May capture only change and not expectations
Managing Expectations of Change



Questions
Topic


1. How was this expectation set?
2. Who set it?
3. When did I find out about it?
4. What am I doing about it?
Four Questions to Ask about Expectations


Held during early stages of project
Informal meeting with Problem (product) owner
Three questions:
Is this the problem you want solved?
What is your vision of the solution?
How are you going to know that we have solved your problem?
What do you need to see that will prove to you the problem is solved?
The Value of Checkpoint Alpha
Source: Blais, Business Analysis: Best Practices for Success, John Wiley, 011



Critical Thinking
Topic


Their expectations of the situation
Their expectations of what will or should happen
Their expectations of you and your role in the situation
Your expectations of the situation
Your expectations of what will or should happen
Your expectations of the relationship
Your expectations of them and their role in the situation
You need to understand and know your own expectations first.
Two Expectations


The elements of the solution that must be done if the solution is to be
considered a success
Generate a return on investment
Beat the competition to the market
Be compliant with regulation
Critical Success Factors


Political Success Factors
Strategic expectations are about what will be done.
Tactical expectations are about how it will be done.
Derived from those with management clout who have an interest in how
the problem is solved
As opposed to just wanting the problem solved
A political success factor may be ignored
Depends on impact on solution and political position of the requestor



Setting and Monitoring Expectations
Topic


Expectations are set by all kinds of events or actions
Something you said or did, or even the way you said it
Something somebody else said or did
Something the client picked up from somewhere else
Expectations, rational or irrational, valid or invalid, are not developed
in a vacuum.

Setting Expectations


Set expectations early
Honest appraisal of what will or might happen
Must be able to say no without damaging relationship
Client relationship
Personal relationship
Managing expectations does not always mean saying no
Expectation may be correct or valid

Setting the Customers Expectations


Must manage expectations
Continuously monitor expectations
Facts are not necessarily expectations
People deal with the facts at the surface level
Expectations are deeper

Monitoring and Managing


Watch the campaign promises.
When you meet expectations through super-human efforts, the same
efforts will be expected in the future.
Keep the problem statement in front at all times.
Capture expectations as they arise and deal with them immediately (a held
expectation becomes a demand).
Try to define measurements for all expectations.
Ask questions to illuminate the expectation.

Guidelines


Listen to what they say and what they do not say
When they do not say what you expect, they may be expecting something else
Watch for segues
Look from their perspective
Communicate often
Complaints mask expectations
When facing complaints, focus on expectations rather than deliveries
Guidelines


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2012 International Institute for Learning, Inc., All rights reserved.

Intelligence, Integrity and Innovation

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