Managing Unrealistic Expectations: Too Much Broth Can Drown the Cooks

Delivering results is an organisational process – achieving sales targets; attending coaching / training sessions; brainstorming ideas for a client proposal – all represent instances whereby expectations are put forth, and expected to be fulfilled. However, when unrealistically high targets are imposed onto organisational personnel, this has the potential to trigger and motivate harmful behaviours amongst those affected.

Either from a managerial perspective (managing those who have been given unreasonable expectations) or from an employee perspective (having been asked to deliver impractical results), there are certain ways in effectively dealing with unrealistic targets which have been requested by those higher up on the organisational ladder. Instead of relying on tactics to achieve short-term results, without considering the impact on the long-term prospects of the organisation, Liane Davey suggests a guideline to managing unrealistic expectations.

Firstly, one should learn how to question unreasonable targets before accepting them as part of your responsibility. This definitely sounds easier than it seems, as you must make sure to not sound as if you are rejecting the goals when you voice out your concerns, which could lead to disastrous career repercussions. The correct approach is by being calm and rational in highlighting your concerns, then provide the necessary facts to substantiate your doubts about the targets.

An alternative approach if you wouldn’t want to advocate for a more reasonable target is by requesting for the resources to get the job done. Instead of changing the initial targets, you can request for options to enhance your capacity in completing the task at hand, such as additional staffing to increase productivity and relieve burden, or tools for reducing administrative burden, either for your team of for yourself.

After deciding the path to achieving the targets, you – either managing the team or as being part of the team – should then have an open discussion to define off-limit options. Tactics such as upselling minimal value products / services or listing unprofitable sales prices to reach targets should be explicitly ruled out from the get-go. By establishing clear boundaries for acceptable and unethical behaviour, you stand to create strong social pressure within the team, so that everyone acts in accordance with preset guidelines.

Although a culture of comparison could have the potential to motivate certain people in reaching their targets, more often than not, they have damaging effects on the mentality and productivity of those working to achieve the target. As an employee, one should avoid using oneself or another as a baseline in gauging success; as a manager, one should be quick to focus on the strategies which are working, instead of the individuals having success.

By applying typical management tactics, they tend to backfire as they do not conform to the added pressure usually associated with unreasonable targets. Even though Liane Davey’s suggestions specify steps to be taken by managers in charge of teams being dealt unfeasible goals, when broken down, these measures apply across all those affected, and should act as a reference point in dealing with unrealistic expectations.

Link: Managing a Team That’s Been Asked to Do Too Much

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(1) blog.vernalmgmt.com

(2) businessinsider.com.au

(3) huffingtonpost.co.uk

Benjamin Lee Cheng Han | Benjamin is a student of International Relations at the University of Nottingham, currently exploring unchartered realms in the Public Relations field. Writing is clearly his interest – a decisive contributor to his foray into the public relations industry. To date, he boasts the proud record of having tamed one of the office cats, and drinking expired tea from the pantry.