# Expectation Management By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-08-25 Disappointment is less about what happened and more about the gap between what one expected and what happened. One benefits from lower expectations if one wants to avoid being disappointed. In other words, one benefits from managing one’s expectations. But what are our expectations of management? Do we expect that managers will be “good”? On what is such an expectation based? Perhaps the expectation management of management should be that people are quirky. There are many ways that a manager could disappoint a subordinate. One could be underappreciative, vague, disinterested, dismissive, or self-absorbed. None of these have much to do with the subordinate. Each has a great deal to do with whatever is going on in the manager’s life and career. This isn’t meant to give managers a pass. Likely, many managers should be doing better than they currently are. It doesn’t take much to impact the quality of another’s day positively. Here, the focus is helping subordinates navigate persistent disappointment at work. Expectation management can help insulate one from being disappointed and, by extension, help conserve attention and energy for things that can be fulfilling and rewarding. #### Related Items [[Management]] [[Experience]] [[Work]] [[Energy]] [[Disappointment]]