Measuring What Matters

Subtitle: Expectations Management

This is the seventh installment in the series Measuring What Matters. See the entire series contents at the end.

While managing expectations it can be challenging to find the right mix of discussion and information dissemination that works for all stakeholders. I see aligning aspirations with the realities of our situations of critical importance.

Understanding the aspirations of management, the product team, and other players is a key to success here. It is important to obtain clarity and resolve assumptions so that ambiguity is reduced. This must be done for each stakeholder. The product manager is centered on bringing perspectives together and communicating expectations and progress towards realizing them. This is ongoing, another daily task, lest the expectations will drift.

“Happiness is good management of expectations and good management means making order and assembling the contingent elements of the "do's'" and the "don'ts", the "maybe yes'" and the "maybe not's". When we really want to live in agreement with ourselves and find peace with the surrounding world, good management is liberating. ( " Expectations " )” ―?Erik Pevernagie

Managing the expectations around the data points that inform the metrics and the conversations around what those measures tell us, are a huge part of how we make continuous improvements.

At "blue" I saw this in hands down the best NPS implementation ever. Our team started with a simple survey process and iteratively milked the data from that structure to reports that enabled us to slice, dice, filter, drill, and mine information and knowledge about how our customers viewed our product. This became a tool in itself and an intersection with our customers which led to many innovations and product improvements. This was achieved by mindful expectations management. It wasn't easy but determination and iteration made it possible over time.

When we first started with the survey, we committed to addressing all feedback regardless of how it "made us look". The customer's expectations can sometimes shed light on problems or issues that are not easy to resolve. In my experience this presents a trilogy of expectations that should be managed for each instance.

1. Product team to/from customer
2. Product team to/from management
3. Product team to product roadmap (for all product stakeholders)

Failing to manage these once identified can be detrimental - be purposeful in starting on this path. I have seen teams who can take this feedback and effectively manage expectations really soar, as was this case at blue.

Unmanaged expectations almost always seem to be counterproductive. I have learned that when everyone has a good understanding of expectations, we all have a greater probability of success.

Measuring What Matters - Series Contents

1. Introduction to an Enterprise Metrics Initiative
2. Focusing on the Customer Experience - Part 1.
3. Focusing on the Customer Experience - Part 2: Using Design Thinking to Solve the Tough Problems.
4. Processes Drive metrics, Not the Other Way Around.
5. Setting Teams Up for Success.
6. Challenging and Overcoming Anti-patterns.
7. Expectations Management <CURRENT ARTICLE>
8. Using Data/Information/Knowledge for Continuous Improvement.
9. Reporting - Your Golden Opportunity.