TL;DR:Â Being a valuable software engineer includes the ability to set and manage realistic expectations. Optimistic deadlines are exciting but often lead to stress and disappointment. Based on facts and past data, realistic expectations help create a healthy work environment, strengthen trust, and improve outcomes. Cultivating this skill requires transparency, open communication, and a willingness to learn from past experiences. Honesty and realism build a culture where truth and trust are valued, leading to more successful projects.
Well, by now, you know that I'm a big fan of analogies, and restaurant analogies are generally simple to grasp, so here it goes:
Picture this:Â You're a chef at a busy restaurant, promising your customers that their orders will be ready in 10 minutes. But the minutes tick by, turning into a half hour, then 45 minutes. Your customers grow annoyed and impatient, feeling misled, and their trust in your words takes a hit.
Now, transition to a completely different setting. You're a software engineer tasked with a complex project. Everyone is enthusiastic, expecting the work to be done in a week. However, you've seen this kind of scenario play out before and know the importance of setting realistic expectations. Based on your experience, you predict it's a month's work. You voice your opinion, setting a realistic timeline.
Initially, there's disappointment; your words have deflated the team's high spirits. But as the days roll on and the project faces inevitable issues, your prediction seems less pessimistic and more accurate. When the project wraps up, matching your timeline, your team's disappointment has transformed into respect. This time, you delivered on your promise and saved them from the frustration of unmet expectations.
Just as the chef could have avoided the customers' dissatisfaction, you avoided a similar fate by setting and meeting realistic expectations. This is the power and value of realistic expectations in software engineering.
In this piece, we will dive into how giving realistic expectations makes you a valuable engineer, strengthens trust within the team, and sets the foundation for high-performance teams.
Optimistic Expectations
Optimistic expectations in engineering are exciting. They carry a contagious energy that sparks enthusiasm and drive. However, optimism without grounding in reality is a recipe for disappointment. Take, for instance, a product manager setting an optimistic deadline for a complex feature based on a best-case scenario. Fueled by this optimism, the team started the project, working diligently to meet the deadline.
However, optimistic deadlines often don't account for the issues that inevitably show up in any project. Perhaps a third-party API the feature relies on doesn't work as expected, or a key team member gets sick. These are common scenarios in any engineering project, but an optimistic deadline leaves no room for them. Now, the team is stressed, rushing to meet the deadline, and the quality of work often takes a hit. If the deadline is missed, the disappointment is twofold - the team is disappointed, and the trust of stakeholders is compromised.
Realistic Expectations
Realistic expectations are grounded in facts, historical data, and a rational understanding of capabilities and constraints. They might not carry the shine of optimism, but they glow in their way. Consider an engineer tasked with estimating the time for implementing a new feature. She considers the complexity of the feature, her understanding of the stack, her team's working speed, and even possible roadblocks. The result is an estimate that might seem longer but has a higher chance of being accurate.
When this engineer's estimate is shared with the stakeholders, it sets a clear, reliable expectation. As the team progresses with the development, they're not under undue stress to meet a tight deadline, so the work environment is healthier. The quality of the feature is not compromised, and if they finish on or before the estimated time, it's a win-win for everyone. Trust within the team and with stakeholders is strengthened, and the engineer's value is recognized.
Setting Realistic Expectations
Setting realistic expectations is essential for effective collaboration in team-based work, especially in software engineering. The base of this is transparent and open communication. Every team member should understand their responsibilities, the work they are tasked with, the deadlines, the quality standards, and how their work contributes to the overall project objectives. Such clarity aligns everyone's efforts and reduces the chances of misunderstandings and unmet expectations.
Moreover, given the evolving nature of tech, maintaining a dynamic approach to expectations is crucial. It's necessary to reassess and readjust expectations regularly. Frequent updates and check-ins ensure everyone remains on the same page, facilitating adaptations as and when new information emerges or circumstances shift.
Finally, setting expectations requires an astute understanding of each team member's capabilities and capacity. Over-expectation may lead to burnout and low-quality work, while under-expectation results in underutilization and diminished motivation. Finding the right balance is needed to maintain productivity and team morale.
Expectations in Trust-Building
Expectations hold an essential role in fostering trust within a team. As I discussed in my previous piece about trust, consistent fulfillment of expectations nurtures trust as it shows reliability and credibility.
When you deliver as per expectations, you demonstrate your commitment to the team's goals, thus encouraging the same level of dedication from your colleagues and promoting a trust-building cycle.
However, trust, once broken, is hard to regain. Trust is broken if expectations are missed or communication about changes is poorly handled. It is far easier to maintain trust than to rebuild it, thus making the prudent and honest management of expectations essential.
Unrealistic expectations are a big trust deal-breaker. Overpromising and under-delivering undermines your team's trust in your abilities and judgment. Therefore, establishing and managing realistic expectations is not a project management issue; they form a crucial aspect of trust-building within a team.
My Experience
Throughout my career, I've understood and appreciated the value of realistic expectations - from both the giving and receiving ends. When you give realistic expectations, you respect others' time and effort. This, in turn, builds trust, leading to more respect, a stronger sense of responsibility, and, ultimately, better results.
On the receiving end, realistic expectations provide a clear and achievable path. They help to prevent frustration, burnout, and disappointment. In contrast, dealing with constantly unmet expectations is frustrating, leading to doubts about one's abilities and potentially causing a drop in motivation and productivity.
However, maintaining a realistic outlook is a mission. There have been times when I've been caught between trying to impress leadership and pushing myself too hard. It's a tricky balance; getting it right is an ongoing learning process. Moreover, ego plays a big part in this, which I will address in the next section.
Over the years, I've found that honesty and transparency are the best policy. Even when the truth might seem harsh or disappointing, it's better to face it head-on than to hide behind false optimism. The trust and respect of your team and leaders are worth far more than a moment of false glory.
Egoless Expectation Setting
Ego disrupts the process of setting realistic expectations. The temptation to display our skills leads to overpromising. Still, the ultimate goal should always be collective success, not individual praise. This highlights the importance of egoless engineering—a perspective that embraces humility celebrates others' achievements, and places team growth above personal glory.
This egoless ethos is key when setting expectations. The aim is to leverage the team's collective strengths rather than trying to outshine peers. This principle is crucial in software engineering, where collaboration towards common goals forms the basis of success. Healthy competition fosters productivity but becomes a burden when it prompts unrealistic expectations fueled by ego.
By consciously putting ego aside, we gain a clearer understanding of both the task at hand and the capabilities of our team, enabling the creation of achievable expectations. This approach demands balancing ambition with realism to prevent setting unrealistic targets that could lead to team disappointment. This is about promoting a culture of open communication where everyone feels empowered to express their views. More importantly, an egoless approach requires the humility to reassess and adjust goals if they appear overambitious initially. This practice builds trust and transparency.
Realistic Work Culture
Building a realistic work culture requires clarity, transparency, and consistent communication. Here's an approach to fostering realism in your team:
Transparent communication: Regularly inform the team about project details, expected challenges, and progress.
Truth over comfort: Encourage team members to voice their true opinions, even unpopular ones.
Reward realism: Appreciate when team members provide realistic estimates or voice potential issues.
Learn from the past: Use historical data to set future expectations and encourage the team to learn from past projects.
Make room for uncertainties: Ensure your plans always have a buffer for unexpected hurdles.
Final Thoughts
Realistic expectations in software engineering are crucial for maintaining a healthy, high-performing team. They foster trust, reduce stress, and often lead to better project outcomes. Your value as an engineer is determined by your technical capabilities and proficiency in setting, managing, and delivering on expectations.
Do not confuse being realistic with being pessimistic. Being realistic is about identifying potential limitations and creating strategies to overcome them. It's about absolute honesty with yourself and with your team. It's the basis of a work culture where truth and transparency are not mere buzzwords but lived realities.
Like any skill, setting realistic expectations takes time and practice. However, with each project and each task, you get better at it.
Together, we're on a mission.