You could not. Michael's problem was an example of the law of expectations taken to an extreme, i.e. "hype", the media equivalent of heightened expectations.

Welcome to the world of mind games: hype, spin, slant, innuendo, etc. When used ethically, also known as "managing expectations."

I ask participants at the beginning of our workshops what they'd like to learn. (My way of capturing their expectations.) "Managing expectations" invariably surfaces as the first or second concept. Why?

When consultants commiserate about their projects with their managers, colleagues, project managers or account managers, the most difficult issues are given the same boilerplate answer, the six words every consultant hates to hear:

"You should have managed their expectations."

Client won't cooperate? "You should have managed their expectations." Client won't let you do your thing? "You should have managed their expectations." Client is not happy? "You should have ..." And so on.

Whoa! What's one to do? Besides watching scope, budgets, deadlines, juggling conflicting requirements, and now managing expectations? Where does one find these demons? And if you find them, how do you manage them?

Expectations are deeper and broader than "requirements:"

Expectations are your client's vision of a future state or action, usually unstated but which is critical to your success: A client who "wants the project to be quick and dirty," or who "wants to be involved in all the details" or "not involved at all," or who expects that your project will result in "reducing his work force by 80%."

Expectation management techniques are very valuable in client service work. It's partly for our client's benefit - to keep their eyes on the ball, to work towards the same goals, etc. We also do it for our own benefit because our project targets are sometimes less precise than we wish they were, our performance criteria are demanding and many activities, such as presentations or deliverables are frequent opportunities for clients to pass judgment on us.

Expectations cut two ways:
1. They are a primary measure of your success. In your client's mind, satisfaction is how close you have come to their expectations. NOT how close you were to the wording of the contract or the scope of work or even the performance criteria, but to their expectations. It may not even be the actual results of the project but the process with which you arrive there.

2. Expectations drive all of your client's actions and decisions. It's not their everyday duties or their "assigned role" or your very rational explanations that drive them, but their expectations.

In the figure above, the red line represents your client's expectations, the black line a measure of the value you're providing and the green line your client's perception of that value. Notice the step down in the expectations line? That indicates expectations that have been successfully reduced. Perceived value is commonly below the actual delivered value, as the results are not always visible, not well explained or publicized. Your objective is to keep the gap between their expectation and the perceived value to a minimum.

My experience has shown that there are three components to managing expectations:

S-M-I.
Set - Monitor - Influence.

Any time I'm asked about an expectations problem, I respond with questions such as: "How was this expectation set? Who set it? When did you find out about it? and: What have you done about it?" The real advice is usually hidden in the answers to those questions.

1. Setting Expectations

Expectations are set by all kinds of events. Something you said or did, or even the way you said it, something somebody else said or did, or something the client picked up from somewhere else. But it's important to know that expectations, rational or irrational, valid or invalid, are not developed in a vacuum.(1)

2. Capturing / Monitoring Expectations
You can't know what the expectation setting is unless you actively search for it and continue monitoring it. You might even have to test it, to see how it's set. Think of a power switch that doesn't have "on" and "off" labels. You don't know whether it's in the on or off position, unless you switch it on and off a couple of times. You can test expectations by dropping hints and clues of your next steps and watching how they react.

The old management adage says: "You cannot manage what you don't measure." Common measurement tools are sales targets, league standings, satisfaction surveys, click-thru rates, and in project work, "percentage complete", "estimate to completion" etc.

The same adage can be re-stated for project work: "You cannot manage expectations unless you monitor them." That requires listening to your clients. Better yet, hearing them and understanding them.

3. Influencing Expectations
Once you have pinpointed the expectation and you know the source, it's time to play the influence challenge. This is what our managers usually meant when they said "manage their expectations." Often they overlook the setting and monitoring components and expect you to "talk your way" out of anything. But it's so hard to talk your way out of anything unless you address the root causes.

On the other hand, sometimes no influence is needed. Their expectations may be well founded, and we may be the one who needs to change our approach and style.

Managed expectations drive your success. Everything else is secondary. The S-M-I principles should give you enough to be prepared for your current client and future projects.

In part 2 of this essay, we will have valuable tips about monitoring expectations and an exhaustive list of influencing techniques you can use to align expectations. Now THAT's setting expectations!

(1) For more on managing expectations, see Naomi Karten’s excellent book, “Managing Expectations”, Dorset House, 1994

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