Expectations - Are They Realistic?

I have found it interesting how we expect everyone to know what are our expectations. Every boss should know how to motivate me? Every sales person should know what I want? All employees should know what I need from them? All my vendors should know what I need? Right. Yet when I ask if they voiced what their expectations are I usually get a response like "They should know".

How are they to know what is expected from them? Are they suppose to pick it up through telepathy? I've seen managers and supervisors let their staff fail because they should know how to do something. Or better yet how many of us expect that our spouses or significant others know exactly what we want or need. That is by far the craziest thing I have ever heard.

I was at a meeting last week that was a tough meeting. After the meeting I was told that some of the staff were not happy with how the meeting went. Why didn't they mention it during the meeting? Why did they tell everyone but the people that needed to know?

I've decided it is because we are afraid to let people know what we really want. If I voice what I want or need other may either make fun of me, tell me I am wrong, or I may actually get what I need. That I believe is the scariest thought for most people. Because if I get people to treat me the way I want to be treated then I have nothing to complain about.

How much time would we save if everyone wasn't complaining after every meeting? What increase in productivity would we see if people were effectively working together? I don't know but I sure would like to find out.