Setting Expectations as a Leader

“Expectation is the root of all heartache.” - Unknown

Introduction

The above quote, often attributed to William Shakespeare, points to a deep organizational leadership truth: misaligned expectations are the root of all conflict. This truth is fleshed out in the fact that studies have repeatedly shown that employees often cite communication issues with their manager as one of the top reasons for workplace dissatisfaction. Very often, leaders make the dangerously incorrect assumption that their employees have the same understanding of what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, and/or when it needs to be done as they do without providing those employees with clear guidance on the leader’s expectations. There are several potential causes for this shortcoming, including a naivety or sometimes laziness. The end result is the same: employees fail to live up to the leaders expectations, hurting productivity and morale.

One of the most important things a leader must do is determine what they expect from their employees and then effectively communicate those expectations to their team.

Determining Expectations

While differing leadership styles and philosophies demand differing expectations, there are a couple guiding principles that any leader can use in determining what they expect from their teams.

Honesty

Team members must be honest in their dealing with those both inside and outside the team.

Compliance

Team members must be willing to operate within the organizations defined policies and procedures and must trust the team leader’s interpretation of those guidelines. That is not to say that there is not room to challenge the leaders interpretation, but it must be done in a way that does not disrupt effective operations of the team.

Respect

All team members, the leader included, must exhibit respect for other members of the team.

Communicating Expectations

Once the leader has done the work of determining what they expect from their employees, they must effectively communicate these expectations to the team.

Clearly and formally explain the who, what, and when.

Sit your employees down and explain what you expect from them. Take the time to explain the who, what, and when of your expectations and make sure and solicit questions to ensure your employees clearly understand.

Continually reinforce expectations.

Telling someone one time just simply isn’t enough to effectively communicate your expectations. Take the time to go over them regularly.

Recognize that actions speak louder that words.

One major way you can reinforce your expectations is through your behavior. People don’t do what you expect, they do what you inspect. Continually monitor performance to make sure it meets the expectations that you laid out at the onset.