Effectiveness Tip of the Week via a weekly email from the folks at FranklinCovey

What did you expect?

"That's your job!" "We didn't agree to that!" "That's not what I meant!" If your expectations are as "clear as mud," don't expect much else than, well, a pretty messy situation. Clean up on Aisle 5! Clarifying expectations in your family, work, and other relationships will help avoid misunderstandings, disappointments, and lack of trust.

• Implicit vs. explicit. Some expectations in relationships are implicit, like your boss expecting you to be at work on time. Yet, many expectations are explicit, requiring further clarification. Negative situations are created when you assume your expectations are self-evident and clearly understood by others.
• Speak up. In new relationships, get all the expectation out on the table at the beginning. Clearly articulate who does what. Almost all relationship difficulties are a result of ambiguous expectations around roles and goals.
• Time and effort. It's easy to pretend differences don't exist and to hope things will work out. Investing time and effort up front to clarify expectations will save time and effort in the future.

Clarifying expectations -- any questions?