Management & communication

“That’s not what I meant”: How to clarify your manager’s expectations

By WorkLens Editorial Team · Published 11 October 2026

When your manager’s expectations are unclear, confirm four things before starting: the outcome, what “good” looks like, the deadline, and who approves it. Bring a proposed approach so the conversation ends with an agreement—not more guessing.

You don’t need to read your manager’s mind to do your job well.

You did the work. Somehow, it was the wrong work.

Signs the expectations need clarifying

Feedback sounds like “be more proactive” or “make it better,” without examples.
You discover important requirements only after submitting the work.
Different people give conflicting instructions.
You can explain the task, but not how success will be judged.

One misunderstanding can happen. A repeated pattern deserves a clearer way of agreeing on the work.

Three practical actions

1. Ask what the work needs to achieve

Instead of only asking, “What should I include?”, try: “What decision should this help someone make?”

Then confirm the audience and format. A leadership summary and a working document may need very different levels of detail.

2. Offer a specific version of “done”

Make it easy for your manager to confirm or adjust your understanding:

“I’m proposing a one-page summary with progress, the two main risks and the decision we need. Would that meet the need?”

If the answer is still vague, ask for an example of a previous piece of work that met their expectations.

3. Confirm the agreement—and check early

Send a short recap covering the deliverable, deadline and reviewer. For unfamiliar or substantial work, agree on an early outline check before investing in the full version.

This is a working agreement, not paperwork for its own sake.

A conversation script you can use

“I want to make sure I’m solving the right problem before I build this out. My understanding is that you need a one-page update for leadership by Thursday, covering progress, key risks and the decision required. Is that right? I can share an outline on Tuesday so we can check the direction early.”

What if the expectations keep shifting?

Ask whether the new request replaces the original scope or adds to it, and what should change about the deadline.

If the pattern continues, keep factual examples and raise the process in your next one-to-one. Where it feels safe and appropriate, seek support from another manager or an internal support channel.

Clearer questions can help, but making expectations workable is a shared responsibility.

Unclear management—or too much work?

Still unsure which is the bigger issue?

Check whether management or workload is your main pressure area

Your free result helps identify the pattern. The optional personalized Deep Dive report goes further with tailored conversation scripts and 7-day and 30-day action plans.

Source and scope

HSE: Management Standards—Role supports clear responsibilities, compatible demands and ways to raise uncertainty. The story and scripts are original practical examples, not research findings. This article offers general workplace reflection, not legal or medical advice.