To be or not to be?

Hellos and Hellos

We all know about working as per our talents. We all know about our best possessed skills too. We are already aware about the organization as an organism, of whom we are the actioning spirit, body and mind.

It is very clear to us that our productive outputs or KRAs or KPIs are like those numerous scattered dots, which when connected into a synchronized format, lead to a successful and coherent achieved organizational goal.

So, what am I implying here? When we are already knowledgeable of so many elementary beliefs, procedures, thought processes et al, what is it that is still some how missed in routine?

To each his own!

Some might say, "I miss being recognized at work. After all my efforts and contributions which have made many things possible in most critical situations, I am barely acknowledged". 

Some may share, about team synergy. "We go through a lot of training sessions on team building, team efforts conciliation, goal settings and One-Team-One-Dream visions. Every aim, goal, actionable is crystal clear until we are back from these sessions. Once we are back to our original work desk, the spirit of synergy fizzles off in some time".

"Food and Benefits and this and that.....", could feature in "whats-amiss" list of others.

Hence, if we try to figure out, what is it that's basically amiss in all of these or many more unmentioned scenarios, which can improve "Us" as a wholesome contributing, synchronized and pleased professional fraternity, the answer will have many-fold dimension. It's impossible to pick one and even think of generalizing the same cause-root factor in such a scene, when there are so many contributing factors to the success of an organization.

But some how, my little Grasshopper of Understanding (Yes, My Pinocchio's match of Conscience!), tells me that, may be the interpretations of all these hampering reasons can be numerous, but there has to be something common strewn across them. Much buried under, mostly wrapped in over cautious linguistics of today's professional "feedbacks".

Expectations.

Managed, unmanaged, spoken, inherent, clear, written, ominous  totally hidden etc. There can be many faces and styles. You name one issue. Tear it apart and you have some sort of basic unmet expectation which has triggered off the final outcome.

Expectations decide the present and planned state of affairs in all quarters of human performance. Once an expectation comes into purview of any actionable, which is planned, work-in-progress, visualized, futuristic, anything; The Vicious Circle of Managing them in an invisible and yet effective manner begins. It has to be so related to the expected goals and objectives of any action, that it leaves just the desired amount of motivation and incentive left for the performing individual to drive the act towards completion, feel satisfactory and derive something (expectation) in return. 

I refer the above to Vroom's Expectancy Model. Personally, I love it.
But, largely, if you think about what is it that stops or hinders or drives or motivates us towards any task, job or goal, you will recognize the end goal of what you are going to achieve by it (post completion of the job).

That thing/ things or Incentives or end results "move the cheese" or Changes our approaches and attitudes towards our jobs. 

Realizing and Managing Expectations

Very famous jargon among managers during appraisal (especially 360 degrees) is how are they managing their, your, our expectations. See, how simple these "things", called Hidden or Expressed Expectations are interlinked.

Some managers are gifted and they find the fountain of potential hidden in us. They unearth it, manage its flow, get best out of us, and their own selves. In short, Win-Win for both. Work managed successfully, both manager and You are happy. Expectations MET (Some times Over met too!)

And then, there are the other kinds of managers, who have two approaches to their style of 'Expectation Management'.
1. Leave it to You: You unearth your fountain of potential. You do your part, get measured for the same. You manage your own Expectations. A special case, might arise in this situation. Where, though one party has managed his expectations, the other one feels totally parched and dissatisfied. This style can run for some time, if the party whose expectations are MET, is the Manager, leaving You as the dissatisfied one. So far, we have not heard of the occurrence and stable running of the vice versa style. Hence, I am safe to deduce for now, that there happens to be no vice-versa. (unfortunately).

2. Leave it to God-Knows-Who: ​You and Manager are not aware in your own conscious minds, as to who is to manage each others expectations. Some thing will be accomplished for sure, for we are not paid for doing nothing, are we? But, in the end, there can be one disastrous case with unmanaged expectations piled up with both manager and you, with nobody having any idea, as to who will sort what. Still, the result will remain as the target or KPI/KRA/ Deliverable will say: Get things done, ANYHOW!
Alas, this style will work itself to an early death. (Or till either of the parties leaves, or gets fired).

Going back to where I started from. We, as intelligent individuals and loads of experiences, surely know about this in some sort of understanding already.
But, the issue at hand is: If we know this already, what have we done about it?

Must give full credit to people and managers who have added so much to thinking about and applying Human Needs angle of Recognition and Rewards to Managing Human Resources. Many other approaches are already into function and application and have delivered stronger teams and amazing results from teams and organizations. 

Still, what is it that's still AMISS?
I know its the big word called EXPECTATIONS, but is there something else behind that word, which implies... Whether I "want" to be what I am Expected to be or not?

Whats in it for you?

This blog is not a vent out session.
Its about relations, views, opinions and versions and self versions. Finding it difficult to justify, completely agree to or just simply disagree to, I would rather place all my thoughts on here.

Disclaimer: All these views are related to my interpretation and understanding about fact, and life situations. Hence, in case if any of the same are objectionable to anyone, my advance clarification to them, that I mean no offense. Just using my right to think and express.
Open world, Open minds.
Like something, express just the apt amount of appreciation
For some, a simple "good" is precious than a Diamond.
For some, an entire memoir of adoration in insufficient.

When you do something, DO it with heart and plan it with your head.
Things will be much easier to do and results will be more agreeable to you.