Coach Steve Chandler had this to say:
You have two choices in your relationships with others. You can have relationships based on expectations or relationships based on agreements.
Expectations are cowardly and self-defeating. They are cowardly because by expecting things of others, I place all responsibility outside myself. I expect my co-worker to do his job right, I expect my family member to behave a certain way, and the list goes on. When I am unhappy it’s because of them. Expectations lead to disappointments. It’s a miserable life expecting so much of others and suffering so much disappointment and betrayal.
Agreements are courageous and creative. They honor the other person. They are coauthored between two composers of the agreement. People give their word and keep it.