Complaints from staff and patients tend to always have the common underlying cause - an individual has an expectation that has not been met. Expectations have a direct link to behaviour and performance outcomes and are therefore a hugely important part of our business. As a manager you have the expectations of your staff to manage as well as that of your patients – just as your team must meet your patients expectations too. Understanding expectations is key to a successful business and it is helpful for you to address them ASAP.
AWARENESS
STANDARDS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
POINTERS
Awareness:
In order to be able to meet expectations you must know what these expectations are. This seems very obvious but either as an employee or a manager you have to know what someone expects of you for you to have the opportunity achieve it. In fact this is true in all manners of life. Friends and loved ones can become upset with you when you don’t meet their expectations too but, so often, we find people hold expectations of us that we are not even aware of. It is unfair to set people up to fail because you have not let them know what is expected of them.
It is important you invest in finding out what people’s expectations of you are, but also you should let people know what expectations you have of them. It is the discrepancy between the expectation someone has of you, and their assumption that you know what should be delivered that breeds disappointment.
Standards:
Expectations should be set at the very start of any business transaction or relationship. Letting staff know what is expected of them or letting patients know what a particular test or procedure involves allows time for questions or concerns to be raised. You shouldn’t agree to things you cannot deliver, unless you are able to negotiate on the variables – remember that standards should never be negotiable. Failing to meet an expectation that you had no possibility of ever meeting is still a failure. It is your job to let your manager know if the expectations they set are unreasonable for the task in hand.
Acknowledgement:
When there is a discrepancy between the expectation of the service user and those delivering it then the best thing is to acknowledge this mismatch. Whether it is regarding the manager and staff or the patients and the service it is only by acknowledging the difference in expectations can you work towards the common goal of delivering what is anticipated.
Pointers:
Regularly reminding people of your expectations of them and equally by regularly reminding people of what it is you can deliver ensures that everyone is on the same page. Good communication is vital. As a manager you can hold regular meetings or deliver mail-shots to your team, you can make sure your letters to patients are informed. As a staff member you must communicate how you are progressing with a task and make suggestions that you think can help you to meet the expectations of your patients, and as a manager you must make sure you actively listen and seek feedback. Ask your patients about their experience and what improvements they would like to see. After all, it is their treatment and their experience that should be at the core of your service.
As a manager, when you do not meet the expectations of your staff it can cause disappointment that can cause disgruntlement and conflict in your team. You must put measures in place to learn your staffs expectations, such as through regular appraisals.
As I said, understanding expectations is key to a successful business – but fundamentally the key to this is communication. You must not allow assumptions to take over and should address this ASAP.
http://aimtobe.co.uk/professional/great-expectations-at-work/
