Leadership Pinnacle

     Your employees are not mind readers. So, don’t keep them guessing when it comes to your expectations of them. The more clearly you can articulate and document your expectations, the more satisfied you will be when it comes to their performance and your working relationships. After more than 25 years of experience managing and leading people in business settings, I recommend you start with a simple set of common expectations. As your business relationships and business needs continue to grow, modify the list by adding additional detail to support growth and change.

         A clearly articulated set of employee expectations may seem like stating the obvious to some people and in some cases may go without saying at all. However, you owe it to yourself and others to fill this gap with a clear understanding leaving no room for assumption, doubt, or speculation. Should your expectations not be met in a future circumstance and you already covered your expectations in an earlier communication; you now have the basis for a poignant discussion regarding the circumstance and your expectations.

         The list below has brought me success in communicating clear expectations to my direct reports. My list is presented to you in a generic form, although I have customized the list to reflect specific industry, job, or project needs. I have used this list in a variety of industry and business settings including business start-ups, turnarounds, acquisitions, and responsibility changes. I have also used these in large organizations complementing documented and sophisticated codes of conduct

Keep me informed – I would rather here about significant information from you than from someone else. I would also rather be over informed than surprised by not being informed.

Solve Problems independently – We have to be resourceful about getting things done. When faced with a business problem stop and consider your training, resources make sure you have a clear definition of the problem and create options, alternatives, and solution recommendations. Consider your direct report as a resource (but not an owner) and briefly give them the problem, your recommendation, and an option to redirect, give you the go-ahead, or stop completely.

Build Relationships – Enter and exit every human interaction on a friendly level, get to the business level and exit the interaction on a friendly level. Take a moment occasionally to engage in an exclusively friendly interaction intentionally leaving the business stuff out.

Deal in Facts – And avoid dealing in second or third hand information. Inference, implication, innuendo, and insinuation aren’t good enough to base your reputation or the reputation of others upon. If you are in doubt about the authenticity of something get to the source and get clarification before you pass it along.

Follow the Open door policy – I am available for you and you are expected to give your direct report the first opportunity to support your needs, if it needs to go beyond that level for resolution, bring it to your next level direct report or to the HR Department.

Be brief in your comments – Since we are all busy practice making your point up front and then supporting it with background information.

Praise publicly and criticize privately – It will earn and maintain you the respect of others.

Always think before you speak – Especially in emotionally charged situations when your feelings are influencing your ability to think clearly and make decisions. Write down your thought or remove yourself temporarily from an emotional situation if necessary.

Be proactive – Consistently take the time, energy, and initiative to think ahead. Anticipate problems before they occur and consider contingencies.

Your professional development - is your responsibility.  I fully support career pathing, mentoring, succession management planning, and removing any impediments to your ability to learn and grow. However, the initiative for developing your knowledge, skills, and abilities must come from you.

Look for the best in each other – Let’s build a solid team upon each other’s strengths, the diversity of our collective backgrounds and experiences, and learn to laugh at ourselves. Self-effacing humor is a clear indication of humility, strength of character, and self-confidence.

         I encourage you to distinguish yourself from your peers by using this list of expectations the next time you have an opportunity to strengthen your communications and working relationships with your direct reports. Invite open dialog in a give-and-take form as you cover each item on the list. Take time to reflect and catalog items that represent strengths and areas of opportunity. Create an action plan of commitment with your team and set a follow-up date to review progress. Above all else remember your employees are not mind readers. If you do, they will put away the crystal balls, tarot cards, Ouija boards, and lots of unnecessary stress.