We have all experienced unrealistic expectations by executives and bosses. The late nights, the long additional hours, working at the weekends, eating pizza or Mc Donald’s on the way home in the taxi.

The wife or husband nagging in your ear are you working late again.

“Why are you working on the weekend, you have already worked late every night this week. I don’t understand. You have not spent quality time with the kids.”

The deadlines which are for what. For the executive and your boss to get a bonus and you get no recognition, for what I say.

You work the long weekend whilst they play golf and drink Piña colada’s and spend time with their family, is it all worth it?

Well, I can say yes from my personal experience. You may not think so at the time. There will always be unrealistic expectations whether it is in your personal life, sporting life or at work.

In this day and age with the cutthroat effect of bosses taking no prisoners and saying you are always replaceable.With unrealistic expectations and absurd deadlines one often says how can I be expected to produce high-quality work?

Many managers vent their frustrations through the tone in the emails responding to work and then set even more unrealistic expectations.

Remember,  we are not mind readers; give us clear directions we understand.

Many of us are saying, bottom line, is that we need this job but we sense that this manager has no patience to allow me to get acclimatised to this new role, process or task and to give me the time to produce the quality work they want. I am concerned that I may be let go.

This would cross many people’s minds in these strained economic times.

Executives who have unrealistic expectations are putting unrealistic and unnecessary pressure on your staff, whether this is through deadlines, verbal meetings or delegating tasks inappropriately is a guaranteed way to lower the performance of your business.

Setting reasonable timing, ensuring you have set clear expectations of your staff and going for the “quality not quantity” approach is key when it comes to task assignment.

Not being overloaded at work ensures staff are able to perform at their best and don’t feel stressed.

Creating a positive workplace boosts productivity.

Next time when your boss, manager, the leader sets you unrealistic expectations then you should look at the following simple methods to assist you.

• Try to collaborate with your boss and work together on the project especially when you are new.
• If you are overwhelmed with tasks, ask yourself why?

a. If you can do the work, is it new, is it out of your comfort zone?

b. Is it insecurity or inexperience and you require additional training

• Work with your colleagues as the saying goes “many hands make light work”
• Break your silence, rise up and let your feelings be known early and not at the last moment. Your boss is not a mind reader and nor are you.
• Avoid taking things personally
• Listen and repeat, listen and repeat –ensure you understand the instructions and repeat them at the end of the meeting so that the boss realises about how unrealistic his expectations are
• Set priorities and mutual expectations with realistic targets and explain why and how an outcome needs to be achieved.
• The boss may not understand a process or the operations fully.
• Do not expect complete guidance, you will not always be spoon fed.

Always remember unrealistic expectations can work both ways from the employer and employees, there will ALWAYS be some common ground.

I will leave you with a quote from Stephen Covey:

“There’s strong data that, within companies, the No. 1 reason for ethical violations is the pressure to meet expectations, sometimes unrealistic expectations”