How to Set Clear Expectations in Task Assignment

I had an argument with my wife the other night. (If you see me on an unsolved murder documentary, use this as evidence.) We had a disagreement. It was around her expectations regarding the cleanliness and tidiness of the house. Now, I don't claim to be Mr. Clean, but I strive to be a good husband ("happy wife happy life") by picking up after myself, doing the dishes, taking out the trash, putting things away, etc etc. You know, standard husband duties. While I thought I was doing things well, my wife had different expectations. And thus, argument ensued. --- Now think about the times when you get frustrated or resentful towards your reps, or your managers. How many times was it due to misaligned expectations? Perhaps you assumed that your reps knew the goals and performance metrics required of them, but they keep missing the mark in your eyes? Perhaps you thought you were doing well, and then you get hit with a warning or PIP out of nowhere? Usually in these circumstances, it's due to poor communication and misaligned expectations. As a result, people feel misunderstood, lost, confused, frustrated, deflated. --- Here's how my wife and I worked through it (and how you and your team can work through it): 💡 Be very clear about your expectations. Create a "SMART" list, which includes activity type, frequency/volume of activity, and expected outcomes. For example: "We need to target 5 demos scheduled a week, 20 demos held a month, 8 deals closed a quarter." ✅ Define "What Good Looks Like". Set a realistic bar. Don't set the bar too high to where it's unattainable. If that bar is reached, be satisfied. Don't ask for them to "do more" afterwards. You can always rinse & repeat this process to raise the bar later. 📍 Create a Path to get there. Map it out. Review the steps, processes, trainings, activities, leading indicators, performance metrics, and "micro-goals" that will get you to your final outcome. 🤝 Get Buy-In. Make sure that the activities, metrics, and goals are realistic. Make sure that your team understands those goals. Make sure that they agree to those goals, or give them an opportunity to provide feedback on potential challenges around reaching those goals. 🧐 Check-In Frequently (Weekly)... To reinforce those expectations, and check on the progress. What's been going well? What areas need improvement? How are we trending towards our overall goals? Refocus and realign. 👍 Provide Positive Reinforcement... Towards progress (no matter how small the progress is). Show that you notice, that you appreciate the effort, and that you care. It fuels motivation. 👩❤️👨 Lastly, work as a unit. Don't just demand. Come up with solutions together. Practice together. Be accountable together. Celebrate together. It's "You & Them" not "You vs Them". --- Wifey will always be the boss. But even bosses need to understand how you prefer to be led sometimes. ✌️ #leadership #manageup #extremeownership #happywife

👉 Do you ever wonder why your top performers sometimes fall short? It might be your fault. High performers thrive on clarity. When leading high-achieving teams, I've found that setting clear expectations is non-negotiable. It’s not enough to assume they know what's required—explicitly defining what meeting, exceeding, and greatly exceeding expectations look like is crucial. At the start of each performance cycle, I sit down with each team member to document these expectations. This isn't just a one-time chat but an ongoing dialogue. We follow up regularly, updating progress and adjusting goals as necessary. This shared document isn't just for the employee. I share it with the leadership team and ensure everyone is on the same page, fostering alignment and support. No one should ever be surprised! This practice might seem basic, but it is a game-changer. It transforms vague goals into actionable targets and aligns individual efforts with organizational objectives. In my experience, this clarity boosts performance but enhances job satisfaction. High performers want to know they are hitting the mark—and it’s our job as leaders to make that mark as clear as daylight. #Leadership #Clarity #HighPerformers #Alignment #Growth If this resonates, repost to share with others ♻️ and follow Tapan Kamdar for more in the future. 📌 Interested in growing as a leader? Get my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dRjtpxBA 

Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Warren Buffet, and Teddy Roosevelt all credit their massive success to one thing: delegation. 4 simple steps to 10x your productivity by mastering the art of delegation: I used to be a control freak and perfectionist. I thought I had to do everything myself. But here's the thing: we all have the same 24 hours in a day. No matter how hard you work, there's a limit. That's when I realized, to scale my company, I had to master delegation. It was a tough pill to swallow. Letting go and blindly trusting my team felt like jumping off a cliff. But it was also liberating. And now, it's 10xd my productivity. Follow these 4 steps to get a leg up on it: 1. Identify tasks to delegate It started with a simple list of my responsibilities. After a week, patterns emerged. Repetitive, rote, rule-based tasks were perfect for delegation. The relief I felt just by identifying these was incredible. Time freed up. 2. Select the right people You must get the right people in the right seats. Match delegated tasks to team members with relevant: • Experience • Bandwidth • Interests That last point is worth reiterating. A scientific study by Rong Su found that people who are naturally interested in their work are more motivated to solve challenging problems and stick with their roles longer. It’s common sense, and science backs it. 3. Set clear expectations Brené Brown said it best: “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” My firm lays out specific deadlines, requirements, and communication channels for maximum clarity. This removes friction and confusion, making the process smoother across the board. 4. Trust your team (and verify) Micromanagement signals a lack of trust. Nobody likes a nitpicker. Let good people take the wheel. Initially, I checked in frequently, but over time, I used: • KPIs • Peer reviews To gauge the process. If they fall short, that’s where constructive feedback comes in. Start small, be available for guidance, and slowly scale delegation. That’s how you multiply your influence. The end goal is to build a team that will thrive without you. Ask yourself: • Are there responsibilities you can start delegating today? • Who on my team is ready for more challenges? Once you have clear answers to those questions, TAKE ACTION! Follow me @evannierman for more deep dives.

Clear expectations can be the difference between someone getting fired for not performing and getting a raise for performing really well. I joined a startup and inherited a few team members. The former leader was not confident that one of the engineers was performing well. My first question was: "What do we expect from this person?" It wasn't clear to anyone nor written anywhere. I worked to quickly establish expectations. We wrote them down and started planning big quarterly initiatives. I also created processes to shield them from random requests bogging them down. Result: This person got 2 raises and more equity in less than a year. The entire leadership team was excited to see this person flourish. We didn't lower the bar. We just made it clear. So, next time you think someone is not performing on your team, ask yourself... Have you set clear expectations for them? #leadership #teamdevelopment

One of the hardest things I see for new people leaders is learning how to exercise healthy delegation. I was meeting with a group of new(ish) leaders earlier this week and i noticed three of the same, common themes that I consistently hear: 🛑 Fear of delegation due to unhealthy examples early in their careers (offloading) 🛑 Highly-competent individuals not wanting to “lose their edge” in their areas of expertise 🛑Wanting to “protect” their team members and not give them too much work. Here’s the deal: Delegation done well is the best way to replicate yourself as a leader and grow your bench. But, you have to do it the right way: 1️⃣ Ask if they want the ball…then give them CLEAR EXPECTATIONS of the outcome needed. And, be explicit as to which level of delegation this is. 2️⃣ EMPOWER them to own that outcome by setting boundaries, creating regular check-ins, and giving them the right resources. 3️⃣ If their first time owning something, watch for early warning signs of floundering and step in to COACH them. Don’t take back control, just coach. 4️⃣ CELEBRATE them once they’ve achieved the outcome you gave them. Dont tell them all the things you would have done differently, just take a moment to encourage! 5️⃣ Finally, GIVE FEEDBACK on how they did. Ask them what they would do differently in the future, what they learned, and offer some input from you perspective. Don’t rob your team members from the experience and learnings that come with owning something—give them a chance and coach them through it the same way someone took a chance on you! #delegation #leadership #itleaders #leadwrshiptraining