According to Gretchen Rubin, expectations come from two sources.

There are external expectations (what others are asking you to do) and internal expectations (what you’re asking yourself to do).

Individuals tend to respond to expectations in one of the following ways:

1. Some tend to readily meet both outer expectations and inner expectations without much drama (…just tell me what needs to done, and I’ll do it.).

2. Some tend to question outer expectations, but readily meet inner expectations (I’ll comply if you convince me why).

3. Some tend to readily meet outer expectations but have trouble meeting inner expectations (…you can count on me, and I’m counting on you to count on me).

4. Some tend to resist outer expectations and also resist inner expectations (…you can’t make me, and neither can I).

Gretchen would suggest that each of your agents is going to primarily fall into one of these four categories.

While this may be an oversimplification of how individuals view their work, it is a viewpoint worth considering.

How an individual responds to expectations will have a significant effect on issues such as training, coaching, and accountability.

And when hiring, you certainly want to avoid the 4’s.