What can you do to improve how you communicate expectations with your team?
The Challenge
Make a list of the three most important behaviors that your team could exhibit (for example, speaking up when they have an opinion, looking for ways to support each other, always keeping the customer first in their minds, etc.). Send out the list, explaining that you were thinking about how easy it is to be unclear about the expectations we have for one another on a team, yourself included. Invite team members to respond with the three most important behaviors that they need from you in order to do their jobs well. Read them, comment, send back questions, and, of course, say, "Thank you!"
Why do this?
Hold team members, including yourself, accountable for specific behaviors. It is easy to misunderstand or be unaware of what colleagues need and expect from us. If you have a trusting relationship with your direct reports, this could create clarity and renewed commitment to one another and/or become the launching pad for important discussions.
This act is part of your long-term effort to drive positive results by holding yourself and others accountable.
What’s next?
Communicating important information, such as expectations, needs to be done more than once. Be sure to repeat your expectations fairly often and through different methods (emails, team meetings, etc.).
