27 - Great Expectations: Managing Expectations for Yourself and Your Team

The Urban Engine Podcast

Description

Matt McLellan and Toni Eberhart talk about managing expectations

Highlights

(02:50) Matt talks about his propensity to set very high goals (like a lot of us tend to do), specifically high

goal in high school at one time to want to break the 4 minute mile in track and field.

(6:30) Matt tells about his experience with his first salaried manager hire. It was a very expensive lesson

since Matt made assumptions for how his manager would operate and that did not play out in day-to-

day operations. When things don’t go well in your business, it is not the person’s fault but yours for not

training them.

(24:20) Matt explains the differences in how he sets and manages sales goals today at Absolute

Nutrition versus how he used to do so (which often fell short).

(26:30) Toni talks about how she won’t set goals for other people like she does for herself because she is

too aggressive on her own goals.

(39:20) Matt discusses how constantly calibrating and communicating goals and expectations with your

team works so well.

Summary

Matt and Toni discuss the importance and challenges of managing expectations. Audacious goals,

desires and expectations are typical for entrepreneurs and is often why they launch a startup in the first

place (entrepreneurs tend to be optimistic). This is essential in getting over the hump in any new

business venture as the challenge to do so can be exhausting and nonlinear (highs are high, lows are

low). As a startup scales up and employees are hired, it is important to set realistic goals and

expectations with your team and to continually communicate to make necessary tweaks in real-time.

You get better results, you foster a happier and more productive work environment, and you’ll retain

your staff over the long-term as they are fully invested in the mission of the organization that they have

had a significant impact in shaping.

Links

(Book) The Algebra of Happiness

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593084195/

High school runner Alan Webb (broke Jim Ryun’s mile record in 2001):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Webb_(runner)

Carl F. Braun on communicating like a grown-up (the Five W’s):

https://fs.blog/2016/03/carl-braun-communicating/

The Psychology of Expectations

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cui-bono/201802/the-psychology-expectations