The MPP Expectation Check
Turn a vague request into an expectation that a manager and employee can understand, act on, and review.
The MPP Expectation Check is a practical preparation tool in Phil Brown’s Leading Forward work at Momentum Performance Partners. It applies the principle clarity before accountability: establish a shared expectation and check the conditions for success before interpreting a performance gap.
Seven questions to ask
- What action, decision, or output is expected?
- Who is responsible, and what authority do they have?
- When should it happen?
- What does acceptable quality look like?
- Has the person explained the expectation in their own words?
- Are the necessary training, time, information, and resources available?
- How and when will progress be checked?
Make the agreement concrete
“Improve the handoff” becomes “Before the end of each shift, record completed work, open issues, and the next owner in the shared handoff log. Flag urgent issues directly to the incoming lead. We will review the first three handoffs together on Friday.” This is an illustrative example.
If an answer is missing
Resolve the missing piece with the employee. If the barrier is competing priorities or missing authority, the manager may need a decision from above. Repeating the request more firmly will not resolve a contradiction.