QuickTip - Setting the right expectations

Early on in my career, I was committed to perfection. Everything had to be done perfectly and methodically. Although the idea of perfection is admirable, you quickly realize that waiting for perfection often means you miss incredible opportunities.

It is often better to get started on the right foot and get it done rather than aim for perfection and miss the bus. How does this apply to delegation? Simple, if you expect perfection from yourself, you will expect it from others. This means you will likely not be satisfied with the quality of the work being performed and will find yourself redoing it all yourself. This will not only frustrate you but steal important time from more important tasks you could be doing. It will also frustrate and demotivate your employees.

If you find yourself questioning the quality of the delegated work, take a moment to perform some introspection.

• Are your expectations realistic?
• Are you aiming for perfection?
• Is the work bad or good? Most often good is the watermark you will have to use to judge most of the activities. Demand perfection only when absolutely critical.
• Did you properly communicate your expectations?
• Is the person qualified to perform the work you assigned?