As firm mergers are considered, negotiated and implemented the focus has been on financial compatibility and policies, logistics and more recently, business development, internal and external communication. Little attention has been given to understanding mutual expectations at the individual level. Yet expectations are a crucial factor in performance, satisfaction, motivation, loyalty and tenure

FOCUS ON EXPECTATIONS

Most things in life are strongly influenced by our expectations. As the merging entities come together, getting the focus back to the hard-driven work ethic may be the first expectation articulated by firm management. Partners, managers and staff may have other expectations as well which, if met, will motivate them to come across with the dedicated effort management desires. This time period, when people are feeling uncertain and apprehensive about how the changed culture and new firm will affect them, presents an excellent opportunity for creating the workplace of satisfaction and success. While the attributes of the larger, stronger merger partner are likely to predominate at first, getting buy in to a new firm vision will be aided enormously by understanding and managing work expectations.

How To Begin

The first step is identifying and ranking each individual's work expectations. A mechanism is needed to do this as well as help people communicate their expectations, take initiative to get them met - or adjust them when they cannot be reasonably met. The objective is to avoid dissatisfaction while fostering personal accountability.

This is especially important when the organization is going through a merger or acquisition or some other organizational restructuring, or individuals are making transitions to new positions such as partnership. The objective is to manage expectations before disaffection and retention become a problem.

Based on a research-based assessment tool (from Inscape Publishing Inc.) 10 categories of expectations in addition to compensation can be identified.

Let's review each of the types of expectations briefly (in alphabetical order).

Plus COMPENSATION: Cash rewards and benefits.

It is important to note that expectations can change owing to external circumstances or one's own personal development. They may be influenced by a recognition of values and behaviors in an organization's culture and what is and is not perceived as possible.

Expectations, especially high ones, influence behaviors, attitudes, thoughts and feelings. Attitudes can affect others in significant ways, whether or not that is intended. An individual's self-assessment to determine which of the 10 types of expectations are high (it could be one or most) will provide the foundation data for a plan to address gaps between what is and what is expected.

In a newly merged environment, it is crucial to establish a collaborative partnership between management and the professionals for accountability. Once establishing which are an individual's high expectations, it is important to assess if they are being met, and if not, whether the person has done what he or she can to assure they are met.

What Are the Options?

For each unmet expectation, individuals need to ask themselves to further refine the expectations. For the "Career growth" expectation, answer such questions as: Is early responsibility fundamental to my motivation? Do I expect my supervisor (or partners) to be aware of and push for my development of new skills? Is my desire and need for training supported? Do I want the firm or organization as a whole to realize the significance of my role on its goals and future success?

Once understanding the pieces that comprise each high expectation, an approach to address fulfilling the expectation can be mapped out. For our example, first communication of your expectations might help, especially if you haven't spoken up before. Find ways to tell supervisors and colleagues that career growth (or teamwork, etc.) is important to you and will motivate you to greater performance. Ask for feedback, saying you would like to be told when you've done something well, as well as when there are gaps in your expertise that you need to fulfill to reach your career goals. Set an example by doing a self-evaluation and review it with a partner or professional development director.

In addition to asking for external recognition, an individual can initiate some self-recognition, for example: rewarding oneself for achievements; allowing one self to feel a sense of accomplishment; and documenting achievement or reaching goals so they can be discussed with a supervisor or colleague.

If expectations have been communicated but are still unmet, the resolution needs to come from the individual, the firm or a combined effort. On the individual's part, a decision has to be made as to whether he or she can live with the current situation. If not, either the individual's expectations for recognition, autonomy, career growth or whatever need to be reconsidered and modified, or a proposal for change in the situation should be made to the firm or relevant manager with the hope of mutual effort to close the gap in expectations. A last resort, of course, is the decision to leave because a high priority expectation will not or cannot be accommodated.

A DUAL RESPONSIBILITY

The process of analyzing and addressing work expectations is an ongoing self-discovery and action planning process. It is important for the individual lawyers or staff people to be aware of how their expectations are influencing their attitude and work performance as well as their commitment and job satisfaction. Communication with people who are in a position to change the circumstances is important. Too often people keep their dissatisfaction to themselves or act out in unconstructive ways rather than taking action to communicate unmet needs and try to resolve them

Whether coming to a firm as an individual lateral or part of an acquired group or half of a firm merger, people have expectations about being integrated into the whole. These expectations can run the gamut of environment, structure, stability, recognition, teamwork, career growth and diversity, as well as for some people, expression, balance and autonomy. Savvy and sensitive firm leaders and managers will have an action plan for dealing with the major business development, logistical, and client service delivery factors as well as the equally important issues of expectations of personnel.

Most organizations can benefit from changes in culture and the workplace environment. In a newly merged firm there are opportunities for very positive change as well as the threat of losing what is good in each of the original firm's culture and focusing only on financial results. Today, personnel at all levels, from partners/owners to office staff, are more likely to define their own desires for workplace satisfaction and to feel entitled to fulfillment than in the past. While this is verbalized more or less depending on the economic climate, the underlying sense remains. The responsibility for seeking satisfaction lies with individuals themselves before simply expecting to have firm and practice managers and colleagues read their minds and wave the magic wand.

The firm's responsibility should be to encourage identification of expectations, provide the tools to do so, and be open to suggestions for reasonable improvement and culture change. Individuals as well as firm leaders and managers need to pay attention to managing expectations. That will eliminate a great deal of whining, mismatching of culture and people, unwanted turnover and disruption of productivity. It should also make the firm a more pleasant place to be for the long-term, an important factor as merged firms come together to achieve their goals of greater strength and stability.

© Phyllis Weiss Haserot, 2002. All rights reserved.

This article appeared in the New York Law Journal, December 24, 2002