The importance of setting clear expectations

A strong house starts with a solid foundation just as a successful employee starts with setting and agreeing on expectations. You need something solid to anchor things to. Clear expectations serve as that anchor in the employee/leader relationship. While this seems basic and straightforward, it is often the root cause of performance issues that I see everyday in my coaching practice. 

When done correctly, setting clear expectations makes both the employee and leader feel successful so let’s discuss how to do this with the following steps: 

1. Set SMART goals 

   • Specific

   • Measurable

   • Achievable

   • Relevant (or Realistic) and 

   • Time-bound

2. Set these goals clearly and ensure understanding and agreement on all sides. A direct conversation between the leader and direct report to be sure there are no questions about expectations is an important step.

3. Ensure the employee understands WHY the work matters and feels a connection to higher-level goals the organization is trying to achieve. This will help create “line of sight” which is the connection an individual feels to the overall organizational goals. In other words, an employee should be able to answer the question of how what they do everyday impacts what the company is working to accomplish.

4. Focus on not only the WHAT and WHY, but also HOW you want the employee to accomplish their goals. Emphasize that behaviors matter just as much as performance does.

5. Ensure that the employee has a say in the expectations that they will be held accountable to. We want to ensure that the conversation is collaborative and the employee buys in to what they are being asked to do

   • Encourage the employee to ask questions and check for understanding along the way

6. Document these agreements to avoid misunderstandings or questions down the road

7. Make sure to talk about the specific role the employee has in a particular goal, i.e., use a RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed)

8. Agree on frequency of check-ins on these goals and what forums you will use to check in

9. Give frequent feedback to create a culture of open communication, accountability and support

10. Follow up and revisit goals regularly and be open to changing and updating as organizational goals change

11. Model the right behavior around accountability yourself as a leader

While this list may feel long, these are the best practices to ensure a successful leader/employee relationship. Unfortunately, we all too often see things get off track. We need to acknowledge why this happens. Some reasons could be: 

• Lack of time: Leaders don’t take the time to have these conversations due to their own workload and/or not prioritizing the reason we set clear expectations

• Setting and forgetting: Once the goals are set, leaders fail to check in on them and, instead, wait until performance review time to follow up

• Changing lanes: Leaders do not always communicate changes to priorities and the employee ends up focusing on the wrong things

• Feedback fumbles: Leaders are uncomfortable giving feedback as they view it as a conflict and avoid it until it becomes such a big issue they have to address it

• Trust issues: Leaders do not build a culture of trust so anytime they give feedback the employee personalizes it and may feel threatened

In my experience, leaders typically have good intentions but if this expectation-setting process isn’t done in collaboration with them (or modeled from the top and embedded in culture) it is difficult for them to both understand how to do it, and stay consistent with following the key steps. My advice to leaders is to be the leader you want to have regardless of what is being set as the standard. Try to avoid the pitfalls by blocking time in your calendar to do the things that set your employee up for success. Two top tips to keep in mind: 

• Be the Leader You Want: Even if others aren’t doing it, set the standard.

• Schedule It In: Block time to set your employees up for success.

Use these timeframes as a guideline for when to have these conversations:

• New Hire: When someone new joins the team.

• New Year: Start the year right with clear goals.

• Changes: Whenever goals or expectations change.

• Small Issues: Catch things early before they become big problems.

Why setting clear expectations matters: Think of setting expectations like building a house – you need a solid foundation. For employees, clear expectations are that foundation. It’s super important and avoids a lot of headaches later on. When expectations are clear, everyone wins – the employee and the leader. It just makes things run smoother!

Just as a strong house needs a solid foundation, a strong team requires a foundational understanding between leaders and employees. It's crucial to establish clear expectations and processes for coaching and feedback. Building a strong leader-direct report relationship takes effort, but these conversations and mechanisms will lead to a robust organization and culture. It's always a good time to start.