When expectations aren’t met, it is okay for professionals to face disappointment and despair. Without the ability to enforce boundaries, create priorities, take steps to maintain a healthy work-life balance, and be a problem solver, it can be difficult for you to succeed in your role as a professional. There are some strategies you can use to navigate when you come across unrealistic expectations at work.
In this article, we will explore the nature of unrealistic expectations, provide a few examples of unrealistic expectations you may encounter at work, and finally, walk through a 10-step guide for handling them.
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WHAT ARE SOME UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS AT WORK?
At your place of work, unrealistic expectations are duties beyond the job criteria or unrealistic or tight deadlines.
Unpredictable requests at work can be any of the following: job requirements that offer limited time and tight deadlines for you to achieve the task, not having enough funds to complete the task, Personal to-do list, Requiring overtime beyond the actual contract agreement, or Projects that may require expertise beyond your scope of competence.
#1. Overly demanding workload
If your supervisor expects you to complete too many tasks quickly, they may have unrealistic expectations of you and be overestimating your strength and abilities. While you may have the potential to work through periods of demanding tasks in your role, consistently facing a stressful amount of work can make you unable to achieve anything or attain success.
#2. Working while on vacation
While working, it is essential for you to maintain a healthy work-life balance; self-care, that is, relaxing and making time for yourself, can help you focus better upon your return to your role. Therefore, if you feel pressure to work while on vacation, you are likely facing unrealistic expectations in your position.
#3. Meeting deadlines while short-staffed
If your organization or team lacks staff, productivity may drop, making it difficult to meet deadlines made while you were at full capacity. If your supervisor doesn’t modify their expectations around deadlines during a staff shortage, achieving success can be impractical.
10 STEPS FOR HANDLING UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS AT WORK
#1. Assessment and evaluation
The first step is for you to trace the source of unrealistic expectations and how they can affect proper time management. Precision/ high standards, for example, it can limit the number of tasks staff can carry out due to the constant demand to accomplish some unrealistic work standard. In this case, asking yourself some questions can provide useful insights.
Are these expectations realistic?
Are these tasks within the scope of competence?
Can I achieve success despite the deadline?
Giving answers to these questions you can start addressing the cause of stress and exhaustion at your workplace, as they show more light on peculiar work situations.
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#2. Create a workflow timeline that can help you succeed
If your supervisor creates an unrealistic timeline and you cannot meet it, create a more reasonable one. Then, show your supervisor the timeline you created so they can visualise what expectations are unrealistic. This may help your supervisor gain perspective and make shifts in the future to establish workable timelines.
#3. Set boundaries – 10 Steps for Handling Unrealistic Expectations At Work
Set consistent limits and practice implementing them when unrealistic expectations at work arise. For instance, if the time given for an assignment is not feasible, escalate this concern to the line manager and devise a more suitable strategy together to get the job done. This will help the supervisor understand the right boundaries and aid the achievement of the staff full potential. Be respectful, constructive and transparent, it is important for achieving positive results.
#4. Establish and manage your priorities
If you are working on a high-priority project and your supervisor assigns you extra work, it is important that you communicate your current workflow priorities. It is possible that your supervisor forgot about the high-priority project he gave you and assumes you will start the additional work after you finish. Taking these possibilities into account, establishing your priorities can help everyone understand what expectations are realistic.
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#5. Have regular and effective communication
If your supervisor does not communicate clearly, try to start conversations about their expectations regularly. You can ask questions to learn what they expect of you and communicate whether you can meet the goals reasonably. Doing this regularly will lead to a better understanding of your role, ways to succeed, and encouragement from your supervisor to communicate effectively.
#6. Seek Support and Guidance
Working together with your teammates or team members can help conquer unrealistic expectations. If you face an impending deadline or are unable to manage all the responsibilities of a project alone, seek assistance from colleagues to accomplish the objectives. This will help strengthen the bond among team members and reduce stress levels.
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#7. Clarify roles and responsibilities
After you are given the assignment, ask questions to clarify the task requirements so the supervisor can discuss concealed unrealistic expectations.
#8. Feedback and evaluation
If you are facing unrealistic expectations in your role, you must communicate with your supervisor and offer feedback. They may understand why you think this way and give solutions for a more feasible workload.
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#9. Take steps to maintain a healthy work-life balance
To achieve your role successfully, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is very important. One part you a healthy work-life balance is taking time for yourself so you can reduce stress and relax. Therefore, make sure you create time for self-care, take vacations and set clear boundaries around your ability to work during these periods.
#10. Take time to celebrate your success
Whenever you attain success, especially when you face unrealistic expectations or periods of high demand, take time to celebrate yourself and convey your achievements to your supervisor. You can do this by giving details on your progress in regular status reports or during regular check-ins. This may help your supervisor see your value and understand how their expectations affect you.
Wrapping Up: 10 Steps for Handling Unrealistic Expectations At Work
It is very important to maintain a balance between optimal efforts and preventing the dangers of unrealistic expectations. Maintaining a healthy state of mind is also important to our well-being as individuals. Constantly put in the additional effort and offer optimal job performance while avoiding unrealistic expectations at work. Set goals for productivity rather than perfection. The steps listed in this article should be a good starting point for managing unrealistic expectations.
