Clear, but not necessarily Great, Expectations

One of my former managers and a smart guy, Bob C., used to say that setting clear expectations was the key to good management. Appears quite obvious, especially when one goes through corporate life and experiences managers who are clueless about dealing with people.

However, it is interesting to extend this concept to other realms. Two specific areas:

1. Setting clear expectations in romantic relationships, and
   
2. Setting clear expectations in sibling relationships.

Having seen and experienced problems in both areas, I can attest to the importance of setting clear expectations. But the process of setting them is the tricky one. Without that, it is difficult to set the bar low enough and surprise on the upside!