“No Surprises” Isn’t a Strategy: How Leaders Can Be More Clear Without Micromanaging
There’s a phrase that shows up in leadership conversations as often as ‘unprecedented times’ did in every post-COVID email: “I don’t like surprises.” On its surface, it sounds like a responsible expectation. After all, who wants to be blindsided in a board meeting, caught off guard in a stakeholder email thread, or learn about a missed deadline only after the fire is already burning?
But here’s the issue. “No surprises” is vague at best and paralyzing at worst. And more often than not, it doesn’t actually reduce surprises; it just relocates the stress.
We hear this all the time in our consulting work. Leaders say it with good intentions. Teams try to honor it. But somewhere in the middle, it becomes a swirl of over-communication, second-guessing, and awkward Slack messages asking, “Is this… something you want to know about?”
Let’s dig into why this expectation doesn’t always land, and how to set a better one.
What Leaders Really Mean (But Don’t Say)
First, let’s be generous. When leaders say “I don’t want surprises,” they usually mean a few specific things:
Don’t let me get blindsided in public
Give me enough time to respond with thought, not panic
Keep me informed when something major changes
Don’t hide important information that should be shared
These are reasonable requests. But instead of saying exactly that, they default to a shorthand that requires team members to decode it. And as we all know, what one person considers “major,” another sees as routine.
Here’s the challenge: when expectations are ambiguous, people don’t get better at meeting them, they just get better at guessing. That might mean over-reporting minor details just in case. Or worse, under-communicating for fear of “bothering” the boss.
Neither option builds trust. Neither option helps teams thrive.
The Trouble with Vague Expectations
Picture this: a project runs into a hiccup that might delay delivery by a few days. Nothing catastrophic, just a bottleneck with a vendor. A mid-level team member debates whether to flag it. It could resolve on its own. It might not even be noticed. But the project sponsor has said they “don’t like surprises,” and now the team member is stuck wondering - does this count?
That hesitation can lead to silence. The delay grows. The issue escalates. And by the time the leader finds out, it’s not just a surprise, it’s a fire.
What went wrong? The team member wasn’t trying to hide the issue. They just didn’t have a shared definition of what matters enough to flag.
A better move would have been: “If something could impact timing, quality, or external perception, even slightly, I want to hear about it early.” That guidance would have given the team member a filter. A standard. A green light to speak up.
Because this isn’t just about preventing bad news. It’s about creating a culture where people know how and when to raise the right flag at the right time.
A Better Approach: Clarity Over Control
If you’re a leader who’s said some version of “don’t surprise me,” the solution isn’t to scrap the instinct. It’s to clarify the need behind it.
Instead of expecting your team to anticipate every twist, give them a framework for understanding what matters most to you. That could sound like:
“If it affects cross-functional partners, I want to hear about it early.”
“If a client or stakeholder is expressing dissatisfaction, flag it. Even if it’s not clear yet what needs to change.”
“If something’s going to make me look unprepared in a leadership space, I’d rather know than guess.”
These statements give shape to a previously foggy directive. They help your team focus less on managing your mood and more on managing outcomes.
A Tiered Model for Flagging Surprises
Want to make it even easier? Try a tiered approach with your team:
Red: Must-know. High-impact, reputational, legal, financial, likely to spark media attention, or relational risks. Escalate immediately.
Yellow: Might-know. Potential delays, resource misalignment, shifts in stakeholder expectations. Discuss during 1:1s or team check-ins.
Green: Good-to-know. General progress updates, small pivots, non-urgent lessons learned. Save for regular updates or documentation.
This model helps teams build their own judgment, and gives you confidence that what does rise to you actually needs your attention.
Coaching Your Team to Build This Muscle
One of the most powerful things you can do as a leader is teach people how to think like you, not so they mimic your decisions, but so they understand your criteria.
Too often, we assume people will magically “just know” what’s important enough to escalate. But judgment is built, not inherited. One of the best things a leader can do is turn their internal filters into teachable moments. For instance, after a team meeting or project update, take a few minutes to debrief with a direct report. Say something like, “Here’s what I would have elevated sooner,” or “That was the exact right amount of context—thank you.” Over time, those micro-conversations help people calibrate not only to your preferences but to the bigger picture of what keeps the organization running smoothly. It’s not about spoon-feeding -it’s about strengthening their instincts through shared reflection.
You can also try this simple prompt during a team norming session or retreat: “Let’s define what a surprise is for this team. What’s the kind of thing I need to know about right away? What can wait until we regroup?”
You might be surprised (pun intended) at the range of interpretations. That’s a gift. Now you can align.
You can also coach individuals with these reflective questions:
“Would this feel like a surprise if I heard it from someone else first?”
“What’s the consequence of me not knowing this until it’s already happened?”
“Does this require a decision, a heads-up, or just awareness?”
The answers often unlock a better understanding of what’s actually helpful, not just what feels safe.
Building the Muscle for Visibility
Part of what makes leadership hard is that your need for visibility increases while your available time decreases. That’s why managing flow matters.
The goal isn’t omniscience. It’s trust. And trust is built when expectations are mutual, not mysterious.
If your team doesn’t know what “no surprises” means, that’s not on them. That’s on the systems you have or haven’t created. Your job isn’t to monitor every move, it’s to design communication habits that scale with complexity.
And if you’re on the receiving end of this expectation, remember: pushing for clarity is leadership, not resistance. Say something like, “I’d love to understand better what counts as a surprise to you. That way I can make sure I’m sharing what’s most important and keeping things off of your desk when possible.”
Final Thoughts
Most surprises in organizations don’t come from malice. They come from misalignment. From unclear expectations. From leaders who assume their teams can read between the lines when the lines were never clearly drawn in the first place.
Saying “I don’t like surprises” is not a communication strategy. But clarifying how and when you want to be looped in? That is. And that clarity builds speed, trust, and better decision-making, up and down the chain.
So, the next time you feel the urge to say “Just don’t surprise me,” take a beat. And ask yourself instead: “What kind of information actually helps me lead well?”
Because it turns out, good leadership isn’t about eliminating surprises. It’s about creating a system where the right things rise to the surface at the right time.
