It is no longer a secret that effective communication in the workplace is geared towards growth; hence, communicating expectations on all levels can improve the organization. Most of the time, you get to read or hear about how Employees & Managers should communicate their expectations to their employees, but as an employee, can you communicate your expectations?

What are the Benefits of Setting Expectations with your Manager & Employer?

We usually recommend that you communicate your expectations as early as possible; it could be when you newly got hired, or even in the course of discharging your duties. If you are wondering about what benefits to expect, here are some:

• Setting expectations present you as a mature hospitality professional. It shows how you are not afraid to discuss difficult issues and negotiate for win-win solutions.
• It allows you to put your preferences on record without the tension of having to fight for them after the fact. By stating up front that you prefer not to answer emails or calls on weekends, for instance, your manager won’t be (or shouldn’t be) livid that you ignored his Sunday morning email.
• Setting Expectations makes performance reviews easier and more predictable. Considering the fact that you have initiated the setting of expectations earlier on, performance review becomes less stressful and more productive conversations.
• Also, it gives you a better sense of control over your work and your professional reputation in your hospitality organization.
• You will be able to better defend boundaries and not have to wrestle with guilt or fear of saying no when you need to.

How to Set Expectations with your Manager as a New Employee

So you just got employed in a reputable hospitality company and you feel the need to communicate your preferences, clarify boundaries and set your feet on the right track; meeting with your new manager can do the magic?

1. Plan Ahead

Communication is key, but before you meet with your manager, you need to plan ahead. Come up with questions of clarification to better understand your manager’s preferred ways of working. The goal is to list out questions that will lay bare what you believe will be the biggest sticking points in your professional interaction. Have your manager/employer explain what their expectations are around a particular topic. This takes away any ambiguity and opens up a calm dialogue to address it and negotiate for something that better fits your preferences.

2. Communicate Effectively

Once you’ve perfected your questions, you should request a meeting with your new manager. It’s good to do this within the first few weeks of starting your new job.

Set the tone by being professional, gracious, and collaborative. Let them know that the purpose of the meeting is to set your professional relationship off on the right foot. Make it clear that you want it to be mutually beneficial.

Here’s a great way to kick start conversation with your hospitality manager:

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. The reason I thought this meeting would be a good idea is to better understand your preferred work style as well as for you to understand mine. My goal here in this new role is to be as productive as possible and meet our goals. Do you think this would be a good use of our time? “

Possible Questions You Can Ask Are:

• How do you prefer to communicate with someone in my role?
• How involved do you prefer to be in the work I am responsible for?
• If I have questions, when’s the best time to approach you and in what manner?
• What’s your policy about work hours and working on weekends or during vacation?

If at any point you hear an answer that conflicts strongly with what you prefer, use the time right at that moment to address it tactfully and offer a counter with logical rationale.

Also, if you need to communicate something specific, don’t hold back. Here is a great example:

“I am glad we talked through all of this. There was one other thing I wanted to mention, every Thursday I will need to leave the office by 3:30 pm for _______ purposes. I can come in earlier on those days to make up the time, but I’d like to count on that flexibility.”

One thing to keep in mind is that this approach is not fail-safe, especially if you have a weak boss. They may not play fair or have any interest in having a more democratic working relationship with you. In such a case, don’t beat yourself up over it. Know you did the work of trying to establish the rules of engagement, but it takes two parties to make it work. If after some time you feel you can’t arrive at a place of compromise, do what you must to move on or at least deal with it temporarily.