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Clear expectations Why clarity is your business superpower Do you and your colleagues know what is expected of you at work? It would be amazing if so, because based on findings from global research company Gallup, only about half of all employees worldwide understand what is expected of them at work. Can you imagine what this rather staggering finding means for global productivity and performance? And, should this be the case where you work, what might this mean in your organisation?
Never assume anything – have the conversation It is dangerous to assume that people understand what is expected of them, have the skills and resources to achieve this, or that they will naturally do what you think they should be doing.
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In fact, Gallup's research also shows that the worst thing you can do to someone in terms of expectations is to ignore them, giving them no feedback on their work performance!
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Providing helpful feedback that clarifies what is expected of them has a direct impact both on their engagement and your organisation’s success.
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The clearer we are about what is expected of us, the easier it is to get the job done, identify and overcome problems, and innovate.
Clarity creates purpose There is a conversation that is said to have taken place between John F. Kennedy and a janitor at NASA HQ in 1961 when the US President was visiting for the first time. He introduced himself to the janitor who was mopping the floor and asked him what he did there. “Well, Mr. President,” the janitor responded, “I’m helping put a man on the moon.” In less than 10 words, the janitor demonstrated that he got it. That he understood the vision and his part in it. Being clear about what is expected of oneself at work – and why – has been identified as the foundation to creating a highly engaged workforce in any organisation. And being disengaged is one of the prime reasons that people leave their job. So, how do we ensure each person has this clarity, and how might we maintain it?
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Firstly – determine current expectations If you were asked to name the three most important expectations of your job in memorable, understandable, one-line statements, could you easily do it? Likewise, could your leadership team, manager or colleagues do the same? Try it. It can be a challenge!
Rob Clarke CEO of Learning Architects
Start by defining what clarity means If you’re a manager or team leader, what do you do that helps clarify expectations? A great place to start the clarification process is to ask each person what they think is expected of them. Approach this as a conversation rather than an interrogation or test! This way, you will create space to drive better performance, plus you might get insights as a leader or co-worker that you might not otherwise.
It starts with you So to finish, I leave you with this challenge: if you need to create clarity of expectation in your organisation so that everyone on the team is engaged and performs to a high level, how might you do this to give your business superpowers?
Tips to help define and maintain clear expectations • Treat the induction process as a critical part of joining your organisation that is never missed or avoided. It's the time when clarity is created so everyone is on the same page from the start. Have these discussions as soon as someone joins your organisation. • Treat the job description as a discussion document that is revisited at least twice a year to ensure expectations remain clear, and obstacles are identified and addressed. • Create ways for employees to get feedback from customers. Try to find ways to make this feedback as real-time as possible so that on the job learning opportunities are maximised. • Support people to see feedback as an opportunity for growth and improvement. • Define what success looks like for each expectation as it relates to all employees. This information needs to be a part of the conversation but is often overlooked in a rush to get the task done. Ask them ‘what does success look like for this?’ Then write it down. • Implement an ongoing coaching programme. If you are in a larger organisation, ensure your managers are focussed on the needs of their teams. If you are a smaller business, get yourself a coach who can provide this outside neutral perspective. • Hold people accountable for their results. I suggest one of the best ways to create accountability is through ongoing sharing amongst team members of their results.
