An "expectation" is a strong belief that something will happen or be the case.  

HEADLINES 

• Managers often have unrealistically positive expectations of others 
• They over estimate their leadership influence and relationship strength 
• Expectations are often implied vs. explicitly acknowledged by the employee

HOW EXPECTATIONS INFLUENCE YOUR MINDSET 

• The "nature" of your expectations range from positive to negative 
• The "accuracy" of your expectations range from realistic to unrealistic 
• The accuracy & nature of your expectations compound 
• They influence your perception, emotion & behavior

UNREALISTICALLY POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS 

• "They know what they're doing" 
• "People understand what I mean" 
• "They know what I expect" 
• "They know where they stand"
• "They know I appreciate them"
• "They'll let me know when they need help" 

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS 

1. Acknowledge - own your expectations of others
2. Reflect - are your expectations reasonable? 
3. Test - look for evidence to support the expectation 
4. Verbalize - always share your expectations 
5. Explain - share the "why" behind your expectation  
6. Listen - consider and incorporate the employee's input 
7. Reinforce - use feedback to amplify the expectation 

COACHING POINT - no one rises to low expectations.