Standards vs. Expectations: Why you need to know the difference in the workplace
Sometimes the expectations of others can pull your standards down. Luckily, you don’t have to get caught in the undertow.
If you know me, you know that I’m not fond of greeting cards. I’m just not into them, or the social obligation attached to them. Like many people, written expressions of sentiment don’t come naturally to me: out of the five love languages, gift giving and words of affirmation are in my bottom two, which makes composing and sending greeting cards the perfect storm.
Some time ago at my workplace, a company-wide holiday activity was announced in which everyone was required to create a handcrafted card for a randomly assigned colleague. The expectation is that they’d delight their colleague with a creative message, which will then bring them closer together.
Not gonna lie: I groaned out loud at the idea. The minimum expectation of any greeting card is that there’s at least a tiny bit of positive sentiment, which made me think, “Well, this is gonna be awkward. How do you express appreciation to a colleague you don’t know well — or in my case, at all?”
And then a few days before the due date, it dawned on me: the expectation is set, but the standard isn’t. That means there’s room to apply my own standards to this task, and therein lies opportunity.
The exterior was easy. Then came the written component: I aimed for complete honesty, and what resulted was a message that was 100% sincere, transparent, and with zero pretenses. I openly acknowledged that we haven’t connected at all in my four years at the company, and proposed a day to have a quick webcam chat so we can finally start getting to know each other.
My standard is to be solutions-driven, so I subverted the bare-minimum expectation of greeting cards and applied my own standard to the project, transforming it into a solutions-driven vehicle.
Standards vs. Expectations
Daniel Scott describes the difference between standards and expectations:
A standard is a level of quality, something that is accepted as a norm, and generally used as a basis for judgment. An expectation is a strong belief that something is going to happen in the future, or a feeling that someone or something is going to achieve something. One is fact, the other fiction.
Standards are factual: they’re the baseline of quality that drives effective actions and good decision making. Expectations are internal, and can lead to disappointment when they’re incongruent with what others deliver. Finding an intersection between the two is challenging, especially when you feel someone else’s expectations is pulling your standards down.
Expectations: They don’t always align with needs
Expectations are easy to rely on because they’re based on your beliefs. They don’t stray far beyond your job description and previous experiences. Since they’re inward-facing, they’re also easily accessible form of reasoning. But, if you’re ever asked, “Why do you need to do this?” and your instinctive reply is, “Because it’s expected,” you and your team might have a problem.
Expectations are built on our own biased premonitions, which makes them poor predictors of reality. And through the lenses of expectations, it’s not always clear how scratched up and myopic the lens actually is.
So what happens when things don’t go as expected?
We get angry, depressed or disappointed. Sometimes we react hastily and retrace our steps, trying to unearth oversights or hidden weaknesses. Or worse, we immediately place blame on team members for “dropping the ball” and ruining our expectations.
Expectations are built on our own biased premonitions, which makes them poor predictors of reality.
Expectations also run the risk of not being aligned with actual needs: because they’re strongly tied to our own preferences, they may get chiseled down too far and lose the intended purpose. In other words, the original objective and the company’s standards may end up neglected or even forgotten by the end.
Imagine meeting one of the efficiency experts from Office Space, who are tasked with identifying and evaluating staff credibility and contributions. If asked, “Why do you need to do this?” are you at risk of becoming this guy?
Simply put: meeting bare-minimum expectations means little if they’re not aligned with common standards of quality.
Standards: Everyone needs to uphold them
Standards are the level of quality accepted as the norm. Collectively, standards are your North star, and in great companies, it’s visible from every floor of the company. On an individual level, standards should be evident not only in output, but in every move you make; from communication and support, to your approach when faced with new challenges.
Standards should never be lowered to coddle the expectations of outliers: those who are missing the necessary skillset and/or mindset to meet your standards.
Standards at both company and team levels also need to be in alignment. They must be able to resist flinching at the sound of every squeaky wheel who demands their own expectations be prioritized. And they should never be lowered to coddle the expectations of outliers: those who are missing the necessary skillset and/or mindset to meet the standards you need to succeed.
Your standards will only get better when you’re amongst those with higher standards
Jim Rohn famously stated that you are the average of the five people you most associate with. But what if your company or teammates’ standards have stagnated, or worse, declined? You could be steadfast and advocate for a higher quality of work, but even then you’re still in a danger: the overwhelming presence of those with relatively lower standards still puts you at risk of being swept away by the undertow.
When it comes to self-improvement, your success rides heavily who’s around you. According to Benjamin P. Hardy:
Surrounding yourself with people who have higher standards than you is the fastest and […] only way to truly and permanently change. If you don’t change your environment, and instead attempt to overcome your environment through willpower, you’ll lose every time. Your progress will be very slow.
Observe the closest teammates around you. What are their standards? Do they hold you to a higher regard than they do others? Or are you surrounded by those who work only to minimal expectations, with substandard results?
Identify and align with those who have higher standards than you.
You’ll know who they are because they think broadly and strive to continuously improve their craft. They should be people whom you respect, who respect you, and with whom you have a mutual sense of obligation and shared vision. They’ll inspire you to raise your standards, and be your reason to rise to a challenge when standards are raised. Most importantly, they’ll be your lifeline if you’re being pulled away by the declining standards of others.
You are the average of the five people that surround you. Don’t be the one to pull the average down.
It’s all about the company you keep
If you want to succeed beyond expectations, you need to surround yourself with others who have higher standards than you. And if those around you don’t possess this, your chances of success are minimized.
That’s why it’s imperative to be amongst those who’ll not only keep you accountable, but who have the know-how and vantage point of how to improve. These are the teammates from whom you’ll be able to learn; who’ll enable you to rise above the limits of yours and others’ expectations, raise your standards beyond anything you can imagine, do your best work and be the best possible version of yourself.
The “right” attitude isn’t enough. Positive thinking isn’t enough. Sheer willpower isn’t enough. And those who preach the power of change but continue to work at a low standard are standing in quicksand.
Make sure you’re part of a team that refuses to let you sink.
