@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace If you found this helpful, please retweet to help others. Follow @mardorev for a weekly thread for PhDs interested in industry careers. Do you agree or disagree with any of these? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace To summarize, the 7 strategies to manage and exceed expectations are: 1. Start early 2. Be specific 3. Document agreements 4. Realign regularly 5. Say No 6. Deliver 7. Get recognized If you missed the previous thread, here it is. https://t.co/R41mSvCRZC

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace 7. Get recognized In systems with meritocratic ideals, people are to be rewarded for their performance. In most cases, this should happen without you asking. If it doesn’t, don’t be afraid to ask for whatever reward you believe you earned such as a promotion, raise, etc.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace Realize that there are real costs to exceeding expectations. This includes the opportunity cost of doing something entirely different that could be more rewarding. Make sure you understand those costs and find them acceptable before trying to exceed expectations.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace 6. Deliver Once expectations are set, understood and agreed upon, you need to deliver on your commitments. To exceed expectations, you either go beyond the agreed upon performance indicators or deliver ahead of time while meeting all behavior expectations.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace 5. Say No For you to successfully manage and exceed expectations, you need to say no to some things. If you believe you won’t be able to meet an expectation, state so clearly and unequivocally. If a new request will endanger prior commitments, promptly say no and explain why.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace 4. Realign regularly Circumstances and assumptions change. So do expectations. Establish a regular cadence to share new information, revisit assumptions and update expectations.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace 3. Document agreements Use a shared doc to write down expectations. If not possible, send a summary email after key conversations. This protects against misalignments and moving goalposts that develop over time.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace 2. Be specific For performance, use metrics or indicators. For timeline, define milestones. For behavior, probe management style, conflict resolution, decision making and information sharing practices. Ask questions to identify any undisclosed or unclear expectations.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace 1. Start early You can’t manage expectations if you don’t know them. The best time to know them is before you commit. For a new role, start at the interview process. For a new project, start at the initiation phase. Focus on: performance, timeline and behavior expectations.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace In a previous thread (link at the end) I covered: - Why is it important to manage expectations - What expectations to manage - The common mistakes to avoid Here I will cover how to do it well. Let’s dive in.

7 strategies to manage and exceed expectations. A thread for PhD students interested in industry roles. @AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace @MasterAcademia_ If you found this helpful, please retweet to help others. Follow @mardorev for a weekly career thread for PhDs. Here's last week's topic on salary negotiations, in case you missed it. https://t.co/cNEa6HHGmZ

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace @MasterAcademia_ Alright, this thread is getting too long :) We covered why you need to manage expectations, what expectations to manage, and what mistakes to avoid. Did I miss anything? Next time I will share 5 strategies to manage expectations well. Thanks for reading!

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace @MasterAcademia_ (d) Unrealistic Expectations This one is very likely because of the number of unknowns in research. Prior examples are usually a good baseline to assess how realistic your expectations are. If none exist, identify the unknowns that can affect success or timeline upfront.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace @MasterAcademia_ (c) Misaligned Expectations This happens when your expectations and your advisor's don't match. The risk of this happening increases over time as circumstances change. To avoid this, revisit expectations regularly.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace @MasterAcademia_ (b) Unclear Expectations This happens when your advisor or manager provides vague answers whenever you ask about their expectations. If this happens, try to clarify. If you are unable to get clarity: RUN! The emotional cost of managing unclear expectations is not worth it.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace @MasterAcademia_ (a) Undisclosed Expectations This happens when you are being evaluated based on standards that are unknown to you. This is more common than you think. To avoid this, ask a lot of questions upfront to fully understand how performance, timeline, and behavior are assessed.

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace @MasterAcademia_ 3. What mistakes to avoid? Pay attention to these 4 types of issues: (a) Undisclosed expectations (b) Unclear expectations (c) Misaligned expectations (d) Unrealistic expectations

@AltAcChats @ThePhDPlace @MasterAcademia_ (c) Behavior Expectations You should know what are unacceptable and desired behaviors. For example, does your advisor/manager expect a monthly progress report? Do they expect you to show up to lab every day at a given time? Make sure those match your work style.