Perhaps most leaders will agree that employees come to work each day to perform. Many strive to achieve at an excellent level, and, of course, they seek guidance and vision.
The facts are that extraordinary organizational performance is anchored in clear goals and objectives. In essence: clarity of performance expectation influences employees’ performance, attitude and behavior.
A Key Employee
Motivation gives us professional and personal purpose. To achieve a purposeful culture entails communicating employee expectations that are understood at every level of the organization – creating an environment that fosters a culture of meaningful purpose.
Consider the following:
- Are the company’s core values ingrained into each employee’s performance objectives?
- Are employees encouraged to hold themselves and others accountable?
A shared written statement that addresses expectations will drive desired behavior. Clarity of expectations enables performance and value metrics to be established. Share your organizations expectations with customers and stakeholders and reinforce with them each day.
Expectations are built on the concepts of trust, humility, open communications and mutual respect. One person needs to be accountable for each key goal. Joint focus across organizational lines can result in huge improvements.
Clear expectations are critical in order to avoid miscommunication and frustration. A lack of transparent expectations often creates conflict and dysfunction with the organization.
The next time you embark on a major project, meet with the employees involved who are accountable for the success of the initiative. Develop a group contract in writing that clarifies each person’s role, the group’s interdependence and the value of the group itself.
Review the group’s expectation contract at each project meeting. The process will produce positive results and a supportive and happier group of employees.
The method to enhancing professional relationships involves:
- Being aware of what the leader and the employee seek from the relationship (mutual support, positive results and recognition).
- Communications need to be free and open.
- Compromise – it works!
- Foster acceptance of each other’s differences.
- Active listening on both parties part breaks down walls!
What is it that drives employee commitment and willingness to give their all? Passion! Passion that is fueled by belief in the mission of the company, the leadership and clear performance expectations.
Expectations are natural in all relationships and can be met or exceeded if they are realistic and negotiated properly with employees. Managing expectations is indeed a skill that begins with reflecting on our own expectations and then having the courage to share our expectations with others. It is true that managing expectations takes time, however, it will save you time, energy and reduce drama in your organization.
Successful companies spend the time to have crystal clear expectations with their customers. We have all experienced losing a customer or key employee due to the lack of clear expectations. Silence is not feedback.
People tend to make assumptions based on their personal benefit. Thus, it is paramount to meet or exceed customer requests. By setting clear relationship expectations, you can engage in empathy and put yourself in the shoes of your customer and view your customers as allies.
Managing expectations involves accepting responsibility when mistakes are made and rushing to make things right.
The leaders that I admired the most in my own professional career would ask me when reviewing my objectives for the year, “What expectations do you have of me? What tools and support can I provide you so that you successfully achieve or exceed your goals?”
On a monthly basis, I would meet with my company’s president and would update him on progress made for each of the major business objectives I was tasked with. The dialogue would include challenges, concerns and course corrections that were required. And, yes, what we expected from each other.
Now that is what I call enlightened leadership.
Perhaps it is a good time to meet with your team and allocate time to discuss current expectations with them. Outstanding leaders are people- and relationship-centered individuals. Speak in those terms. The next time you review the performance of your department or an employee in your group, ask yourself the question:
What Did I Expect? And What Did You Expect?
“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim so high that we miss it, but in setting our aim so low that we reach it.” – Michelangelo
