Expectations management should be a mandatory high school subject

Minh Tan

Other quotes by me

Expectations management is a skill I consider a lot of people lack. Not just for themselves, but for others, and definitely of themselves, and of others. I have a fair bit of it, but it’s one of these skills I don’t believe one can get enough of, either.

Why a lot of people lack expectations management skills is easy. They don’t manage it. They just expect, not thinking a lot about what they’re expecting, if at all. That’ll get one in a lot of disappointing, if not outright harmful, situations.

The thing about expectations management is that I consider it a skill, which means it can be learned, and learned by anyone. I don’t think there’s an age too early to start learning expectations management, nor an age too old for it. But in terms of learning it in sufficient quantity, and with enough seriousness and dedication like one learns something in school, I think high school is right for it. I don’t think a lot of kids in junior high would be ready for it. I know we’d be missing out on the drop outs who could probably use expectations management, but if they’re dropping out, I’m not sure they’re ready for expectations management to any serious level at that point. They probably need life to teach them a few more lessons the hard way before they’d be willing to take lessons academically… obviously if they’re dropping out of school.