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.
I’ve been there, my manager coaching clients have been there, so what can be done?!
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?
