How do you know how to deal with a person from the get-go? You can’t. It takes time to learn a person’s habits, behavior patterns, and reactions. Yet here you are, managing a group of individuals. How do you set yourself up for success and avoid common traps of miscommunication as a Design Leader?
Repeat after me
Set.
Clear.
Expectations.
Expectation management is crucial in any organization. A simple guide to working with others can make even the most random bunch of professionals deal with each other better. What do I mean by that?
How to set expectations with the team
Each time I was starting with a new team, I would put up a guide to working with me and ask the team members to fill a mirror copy of it, explaining their expectations and working styles.
Try these questions to get a glimpse of a person’s working style:
- How do you prefer to communicate?
- When are you the most productive?
- What triggers you when working with others?
You can ask these to figure out their expectations towards you as their new manager:
- How do you like to be praised?
- How do you prefer to receive feedback?
- How will I know I’m doing a good job as your manager?
You can go deeper into their personal needs with these:
- What’s your biggest challenge currently and how can I help?
- What worked well with your previous managers?
- What didn’t work well with your previous managers?
Full alignment
Doing so allows team members to self-evaluate and align with your expectations. This transparency sets the stage for productive conversations about performance and growth.
Most importantly, asking team members about their expectations sends a powerful message that you care and want to meet them where they’re at.
How do you manage mutual expectation setting with your team?
