Setting Clear Expectations

I have been reading Ten Thousand Horses by John Stahl-Wert and Ken Jennings, a book about "how leaders harness raw potential for extraordinary results." I've always had a habit of highlighting sentences or phrases that capture me as I read. But in one section of Ten Thousand Horses, there is a sea of green highlighter.

What struck me as so significant was a discussion on expectations. Specifically, the faulty assumption made by many employers and managers that their expectation for employees is clear. Making a bad situation worse, when those [un]clear expectations are not met, the employee is considered incompetent, not the manager.

While it is perfectly acceptable to have high requirements for employees, "mind-reading" is not one of them. As a manager or business owner, you must clearly express -- in specific terms -- your expectations for each employee. And this principle applies on multiple levels. You must be clear not only about the entire thrust of their position and purpose with the company, but also in your requirements for each project/work task. When you form a habit of clearly communicating expected results, you are more likely to get those results.

So the next time your expectations are not met, take a better look at your communication habits, as opposed to your employees' performance.