Discussing Performance Expectations With Transparency

Honest performance conversations can feel uncomfortable—but avoiding them is worse. I've made that mistake (more than once) and now do my best not to repeat it. Here's why: When we delay or sugarcoat tough feedback, we miss the chance to help our teams grow. Clarity isn’t cruel; it’s what empowers people to improve. So avoiding these conversations for my own comfort hurt us all in the end. But how do you approach these conversations the right way? → Have them early. This is the mistake I've made too many times. Don’t wait until frustrations pile up or annual reviews roll around. Feedback is most impactful when it’s timely. If you wait too long, what was once likely a correctable behavior becomes a pattern at best, or a habit at worst. → Lead with specifics. Vague comments like, “You need to improve communication” don’t help. That's like saying "There's going to be weather today." Without specifics, there's no clear action to take. → End with a plan. Performance conversations shouldn’t just identify issues—they should spark solutions. Sometimes, the corrective action is clear-cut, other times you'll need to work together on actionable next steps. But no matter what, end with an action plan (one you can reflect on later for accountability). When done well, these conversations strengthen trust, build accountability, and set the stage for long-term success—for individuals and the team. Because the hardest conversations are often the ones that matter most. #teambuilding #leadership

You might not want performance conversations to be personal, but trust me, they are very personal to your employees. Their livelihood is at stake. Their capability is in question. The consequences are incredibly high. My job is to stay calm and bring structure to it. Otherwise, it can become a tangled mess. Ideally, I’ve set clear expectations upfront. And they’ve been getting feedback from me at a regular clip. But sometimes, we must step back and ask, “Where are we?” Here's how I structure those conversations: 📌 My first question: "Do they see it?" Do they appreciate what’s needed to meet or beat expectations? Do they understand how and why they’re coming up short? If "No," you need to get them there. How? Asking them to self-assess can give me useful intel. You can also finesse this by getting others to provide feedback. Different words can often break through. If they do see it... 📌 "Do they want to fix it?" If the answer is "No," the path becomes painfully obvious. You can’t have people in the role that don’t want to meet it. And people willingly leaving their role is easiest. How? Finesse it by previewing the severance or exit package. Identify roles they might thrive in. Chances are they're frustrated, too. Or if they’re a great fit in the wrong role, you can discuss a trial elsewhere in the org. Finally, if they see it and want to fix it... 📌 “Do they know how?” If not, this is a great place to coach. Use questions to guide them in the direction you need. If they write the map, they tend to follow it. If they know how and are not improving, there are two possibilities: -> They’re not making the change. -> They’re making it, and it’s not helping. In either case, the fair choice for your team and for them is likely an exit. These conversations are always challenging. But they're nearly impossible when we don't have a plan. You can have conversations, or you can lead them. In moments of high emotion, clear is kind. If you found this post helpful: - Please repost ♻️ to help other leaders - Follow Dave Kline 🔔 for more posts like it - Subscribe to my MGMT Playbook 📕 (in bio) Join 30K leaders and get access to 75 practical playbooks + working templates for every challenging management moment.

LEADERS, STOP MOVING THE TARGETS ON YOUR EMPLOYEES 🛑 Imagine training for a marathon, pushing yourself every day, only for the finish line to keep shifting farther away. No matter how fast or hard you run, you never seem to reach it. Frustrating, right? Well… That’s exactly how your employees feel when expectations keep changing without a clear explanation of why. High performers thrive on clarity. They want to know what success looks like so they can deliver results. But when the targets keep shifting, without explanation, their input, or alignment, it leads to burnout, disengagement, and ultimately, turnover. Here’s how elite leaders create a high performance environment: 
✅ Set clear, measurable expectations: Define success so your team knows what they’re aiming for and stick to them. 
✅ Communicate WHY the goal matters: People commit when they see purpose. 
✅ Ensure alignment: If priorities must change, update your team transparently, not reactively. 
✅ Coach, don’t confuse: Provide empowering feedback that helps your employees hit the mark, not question where it is. If you want to build a high performance culture… Stop moving the targets and set your team up to win. I’m curious… ~How do you ensure clarity and consistency in your leadership? #leadership #highperformance #success