The One Consulting Skill That Never Fails Me

I’ve been a consultant for six years now and there is one skill I’ve learned in this job that I’ve been able to leverage in pretty much any situation, even outside of work: the skill of managing expectations. 

Managing expectations seems like it should be a given, especially in my industry, but, unfortunately, people who are good at it seem to be the exception, not the rule. In my opinion, managing expectations comes down to three components, being proactive, data, and communication. Most people fall short in at least one area, which can then lead to conflict.

Being proactive is all about acting early. You want to be paying attention to potential risks, assumptions people are making, and anything that is not going according to plan. But it’s not just about the knowledge of those things. Once you notice them, you need to speak up. I’ve been in many situations where a customer wants a ton of things in a very short timeframe. I have two options when this happens: I can agree to their timeframe and then when it becomes clear we won’t make it, I can let them know. Or I can tell them at the beginning that the timeframe they’ve chosen is unrealistic and give them alternative options. Which do you think causes the least amount of turmoil? 

Many people aren’t proactive because they don’t want to deal with difficult conversations or problems until they absolutely have to. But waiting until the last moment ends up causing trouble for everyone. You will still have to have that difficult conversation, but now it will be so much worse.

The second piece is data. You need to have specifics to back up the expectations you’re setting. If someone asks you to complete a task by a certain timeframe and you think that timeframe is too short, you can’t just say that their timeline isn’t enough. You need to let them know why. Maybe it’s not enough time because you need to gather a team before starting, or because the work needs to be reviewed at multiple steps and this takes longer. Whatever the reason is, you need to be able to articulate what the problems are and how they affect the task at hand. By giving the other party data, you’re giving them a few things - first, you’re giving them an opportunity to solve those problems for you. Maybe they have a team ready to go or want to work with you on the risks you raised. You’re also giving them peace of mind. Even if they can’t do anything about the points you raised, they now know why there could be problems down the road and they can communicate that to their own interested parties.

Lastly, and most importantly, honest, neutral communication is extremely important when setting and managing expectations. Even though these conversations might be difficult, nobody likes to be surprised by issues that seem to come from nowhere. People might be angry that you’re setting a boundary with them and pointing out all the risks in the short term, but in the long-term it will create a much more trusting relationship. They’ll know that you’re on the lookout for these things and that they can trust you to bring them up rather than waiting until the situation is much worse. Everyone likes to have as much time as possible to deal with potential problems. So when broaching these topics, it’s important to do it early, with as much detail as possible, in an honest and transparent tone. 

Obviously this skill has a lot of work applications, even beyond consulting. This is something that is useful when managing expectations with your boss, other managers, and colleagues. It may sometimes seem like overkill, but unless someone tells you to stop managing deadlines and tasks with them, then I’d keep at it. Over-communication is better than under-communication and you’ll quickly become known as someone who is timely and trustworthy. 

Beyond work, this is also a useful skill in your personal life. For example, when my parents have a lot to ask of me, I let them know what a realistic timeline is based on my personal bandwidth. That may sound cold but in reality it helps me protect my space, and once again, it gives them more realistic expectations of my time. I set expectations with my boyfriend about my alone time and tasks I need to get done. I set expectations with friends about what is realistic for trips or events. It’s a skill I use CONSTANTLY. 

Managing expectations can help you avoid a lot of conflict. It provides transparency for all parties involved and helps open up the lines of communication if something needs to be adjusted. When no one is managing expectations, then parties end up making up their own in their heads and when they aren’t met, it causes issues. It can truly be used in almost any type of interaction. So next time you find yourself planning something with others, ask yourself who is managing expectations? And if no one is, try it out yourself. 

Set expectations on arrival times for our dinner reservations with my boyfriend before this pic