EXPECTATIONS MANAGEMENT

Expectations relate to how we frame our present and our future based on our past experiences, perceptions, emotions, desires, and imagination. Expectations are sometimes formed on a nonrational basis with little information. Expectations can motivate people to succeed but may cause disappointment when unmet (see Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Training Program, 2013). Refugees coming through the Humanitarian Corridors project arrive with expectations but often do not foresee the range of challenges they will face as newcomers to a society. Host communities also form expectations associated with the welcoming of refugees. The initial excitement that is connected to welcoming ebbs with the inevitable struggles that arise from encountering new cultural habits, rhythms, and perceptions, as well as the increasing expectations of the refugees. Management of expectations entails finding a way to accompany both refugees and host communities in a way that helps them to grow through constructive and open dialogue.