Do you expect to be better at your job than your co-workers? Maybe you don’t want to be too competitive, but expect that you will be considered a valuable team member to your people manager. Perhaps you expect the team you supervise to meet all deadlines and deal with the client directly. The expectation that the next promotion and raise will be yours is also valid, because after all, you worked your butt off and earned it…right?

Regardless of the company, manager,or job position, we all have different expectations that ultimately stem off our inner drive and career aspirations for the future. Some people work very hard at the office, arriving early and being the last to leave. This might be because they are new at the company, hope to stay there for a long time, and expect to move up the corporate ladder quickly. Others may do the bare minimum, because the job is not what they expected and they are looking to leave sometime soon.

You do not have to be in the workforce for a very long time to realize being full of potential and motivation will not automatically make you a valuable employee. An unorganized office or a bad boss are just a few things that can make your job a nightmare. Motivated employees are an important part of a well-functioning office environment, and they should who know where they stand and have clear expectations for themselves and from management.

The right work expectations can do wonders for achieving great things in your professional life. We all have some form of expectations when we walk into the office everyday, and these expectations help guide and motivate us towards achieving our tasks and goals. Setting the right short- and long-term expectations for the team and yourself at work will create a more harmonious atmosphere that allows for significant growth.

What can you do to assure you are setting the right expectations?

Be realistic about expecting things from others and from yourself. Just because you are able to work at a particular efficiency does not mean you can expect the same from the person sitting across your cubicle. People have different strengths and work at various paces, which is not a bad thing. Having unrealistic expectations for your employees and for yourself can make you bitter and resentful at work. Therefore, always try to adjust expectations based on employee abilities.

Communicate, communicate, communicate! Whether you are an entry-level employee or a manager, communicating what you expect from others is key. Being open and honest about what you expect from others and what they can expect from you will create transparency in the workplace.

It can be easy to start new projects or tasks without having even a brief discussion about what is expected of the end result and the quality expected, but that will end up delaying completion. Make sure you are on the same page with your boss and co-workers about expectations. Constantly asking questions or interacting with your team, even if it is for a short amount of time, will allow both parties to understand their next steps and eliminate confusion.

Make sure your expectations align with your career aspirations. Understanding the vision of your company can help you decide if you want to stay there in the long-run. If you are stuck at a job that you are unhappy with, the expectation of getting promoted may not make sense. Perhaps your expectation should be to research and reach out to recruiters or different companies to talk about a possible career change.

Do you set unrealistic expectations at work?