Expectations Management

An overhead view of a chaotic desk covered in open notebooks, journals, and loose papers filled with handwritten notes and mathematical equations. Sticky notes in yellow, pink, and orange are scattered throughout. A laptop sits open near the top of the frame surrounded by the chaos. A monthly planner, crumpled paper, pencils, and highlighters are visible among the clutter. Every inch of the surface is covered.

Sometimes the Best Leadership Tool Can Be Found for $12 at Target

I ordered a $12 hole punch from Target and it taught me more about leadership than most of the books on my shelf. This is the story of my 2E kid’s first semester of middle school, and the framework hiding inside their IEP.

Shaunia Scales

3 hours ago7 min read

A woman in a black and white striped blazer leans over a table, pointing at documents while a man in a blue denim shirt writes with a pencil. Both are focused on the work in front of them in a warmly lit office space with graphic art on the wall in the background.

The Most Empathetic Thing You Can Do Might Be the Accountability Conversation You're Avoiding

You've spent your career learning to lead with empathy. So why does holding someone accountable feel like the opposite of everything that training built in you? Spoiler: it's not the opposite. It's the next level. And the conversation you've been avoiding might actually be the most empathetic thing you can do.

Shaunia Scales

Jul 276 min read

Colorful sticky notes with motivational phrases, like "Be Flexible" and "Plan Ahead," cover a wall, but they are messy and falling off. A trash bin is filled with discarded notes.

7 Strategies for Setting Expectations That Actually Stick

Unclear, inequitable, or one-directional expectations subtly (or sometimes not so subtly) undermine performance, erode trust, and create the exact problems they were meant to prevent. Here are seven strategies to make sure your expectations actually do what you intend them to do (gasp!)

Shaunia Scales

Apr 275 min read