So much conflict and stress in organizational life, or just in life in general, is the result of missed or conflicting expectations. Sometimes, this is because expectations are not clearly articulated and there is a vacuum that needs to be filled. Everyone is living out their own assumptions, which means that “ghost rules”, or invisible and possibly unfounded narratives, emerge. Team members may resent one another and be completely unable to articulate why. It’s just some deep sense that they are being robbed in some capacity. In reality, it’s just that there are unmet expectations that may have never even been spoken.

These unmet expectations aren’t limited to team life. They can also affect you personally. Today, I want to discuss a few ways in which our expectations can impact us heading into 2023 and how we can act to reduce miscommunication and misunderstandings for ourselves, our co-workers, and the teams that we lead.

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