One of the leader’s greatest responsibilities is to clarify, communicate, and reinforce expectations to team members.
Clarify means the leader herself must understand exactly what the expectations are. This is not the time for vague generalities. How, precisely, are people supposed to respond to new opportunities, execute on existing policies and procedures, and take initiative to solve unexpected problems? How fast, precisely, are they supposed to respond to what? How much, how frequently, and about what issues, precisely, should they communicate with you and fellow team members? And so on. Be specific, precise, and explicitly clear about what your expectations are.
Communicate means once you are clear, share that information with others. Regular leadership team meetings, one-on-one meetings with key team members, regular written interoffice communication, and all the other means at our disposal. Share the information about what you expect, how, and why, and make sure people receive it, acknowledge it, and understand it. Communication only takes place when the receiver understands, and when knowledge is successfully transferred. And remember my favorite adage from a fellow consultant: however much you think you’re communicating, double it and then double it again!
Reinforce means going through the drudgery of almost continuously reminding team members of the expectations. I used the word drudgery intentionally. Many, many leaders get frustrated when they have to repeat expectations a second or third time. This is part of working with other people. People forget, they misunderstand, they default to an old way of operating in the stress of the moment, they’re “asleep” when you tell them what you expect, and, in some cases, they blatantly disregard it. The only solution is to continually reinforce the expectations. Do this kindly, patiently, and with the goal of coaching and supporting. Explain the why and remind people of the importance of consistency. This may be the most important of the leader’s tasks, so don’t take it lightly, even though it can be frustrating.
Three keys to setting and helping others achieve expectations. Every day the leader must do these three things over and over again.
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