Managing expectations is a vastly underutilized skill. Not everyone does it, but maybe if more did, we could avoid a lot of the day-to-day drama that goes on in every office.

For that, don’t fall into the trap of assuming someone has the same understanding of a situation, project, deadline, or task that you do. You can avoid this pitfall by having a conversation in which you openly discuss what’s expected, how it might be accomplished, and how success will be measured. Make sure you get the context.

One of the best ways to manage expectations is to make sure you communicate with everyone on a frequent basis, and sometimes even over-communicate. Better safe than sorry.

When you’re proactively honest and transparent in your communication, you have room to put a Plan B in place, if needed, or the flexibility of making new decisions as you move toward the finish line. Being honest about a delay is a thousand times better than promising to deliver and then missing your deadline.

You have to be comfortable that the expectations are realistic and achievable. If they’re not, you can–and should–push back. The key here is pushing back in a way that balances the organization’s needs and the team’s abilities. If you can nail the fine art of pushback, you’ve won half the battle of managing expectations successfully.

Summing-up: Folks who know how to manage expectations are able to more seamlessly navigate the choppy waters of their business, because they know how to communicate, organize, and direct conversations around things getting done.