Years ago, back when being a Brand Manager, my boss forwarded me a name and a phone number of a guy he promised I would call. Apparently, they met through mutual acquaintances and there was an idea that it would be good to get in touch. I was driving down the highway when it sprang to mind and I dialed his number (hands free). Phone rang a couple of times until the guy on the other end answered. Before I got a sentence out, he yelled at me, “NOT NOW!” and hung up the phone.

A bit taken off guard, I first just kept on driving, which under all circumstances was also the safe thing to do. Dazed by the experience, my mind went wild and all kind of thoughts came up. Who was he that he had just spoken to me like that and that sort of stuff. Then a luminous thought came to me, almost like a light bulb above my head, as in one of those cartoons. Maybe the guy was trapped under something heavy. If that were the case, I wouldn’t want to have a lengthy conversation with another guy driving along the highway. I would not even pick up the phone. Maybe I should, being trapped and all, but that’s not the point here. So, I decided to be the bigger man and let it go. The trapped under a fridge solution seemed to work to ease my mind.

Hours later, end of day, I get a phone call by a number I don’t recognize. It’s the guy from earlier! He starts apologizing and then explains what happens. I am expecting him to tell me a miracle story how he got away from under that rock by some amazing feat. He continues he was at the hospital in the very room where his wife was in labor giving birth to their first child. His phone not on mute and ringing loudly, setting off what I can only imagine was death ray eyes of his wife, must’ve left him wanting to actually be trapped under something heavy. I congratulated him and we agreed to catch up later. It had nothing to do with me. I had no idea what kind of situation he was in.

Obviously, similar events have occurred to a lot of people. Not being aligned can set of a series of events that might not have the desired outcome. Whether dealing with internal stakeholders or with agencies, not having the same expectations or being on the same wavelength to embark on a project can cause serious frustrations.

Managing expectations is the holy grail in navigating the “corporate swamps of despair”. Whether it is an aligned brief (it’s a brief, not a long, but we’ll get to that at another time) or a list of requirements, if you do not have a document of sorts, good luck. That is basically crossing a major highway with your eyes closed during rush hour. Luck shouldn’t be the thing that is the secret to your success.

This document or alignment should guide your project and protect it from all kinds of curveballs being thrown at you. Let’s play corporate bingo.

“The Add on” – Anyone has run into that time when a higher up added an item to the requirements and not actually faced the reality of the impact of that ask. Whether it was budget, resources or time, it just didn’t add up anymore. Total shitshow and you’d had to bent yourself backwards to make ends meet.

“The Questioner” – Then there is another favorite of mine that had to do with execs who lack ownership and vision. The result with these people is that instead of making a decision (what their job is supposed to be) regarding your project, they ask you another question. Cause that is what these people do! They never decide on anything bigger than lunch because it will make them accountable. They thrive in the “safe zone” of PowerPoints, gate meetings and procedures. So, when the moment is there, they will make you look at another scenario they made up on the spot, just so they do not need to decide on anything. You feel yourself and the project being dragged down into their swamp.

“The Bureaucrat” – The one who does not even have the brains to come up with a question like the former but defers the decision to another desk. Making you wonder why you had to deal with this person all the time in the first place. Despair strikes, as you need to align this new person/ desk all over, setting everything back and putting your reputation and the project at risk.

Why does this happen, you might contemplate driving home, or lying awake at night. It is because you didn’t confront them with the key brief you aligned on initially. You gave them space to maneuver. You let this happen. Maybe because you aim to please or perhaps as they are higher up in the ranks. Either way, it never works out for you, your project and the stakeholders you need to deal with. Sounds familiar?

It takes time to create a concise idea of what you want, and then being able to convey this to others. Time and effort. There is also not just one way about it. Each situation requires different handling. If you are about to embark on a new project and need help in aligning stakeholders to a common vision and goal, give me a ring. Let’s do coffee.