How to Clarify Expectations for Team Performance

When was the last time you reset the expectations for your team or Company? I’m holding a fractional role with a company to help them move from version 1 to 2.0. There were a lot of people who had become accustomed to pushing the boundaries around what was expected of their performance. We held a meeting this week to draw a metaphorical line in the sand around what had been permitted in the past and what is expected in the future. Keep in mind, what we permit, we promote. We brought everyone around the table. The vision was reiterated, training was provided and we had dialogue around the importance of each person‘s role. We encouraged questions and input. Then they were asked if, with these new expectations, could we count on their commitment to perform to our expectations. It created space for people to say “no”. But guess what, no one did. People sat up in their chair and said yes, you can count on us. We saw lightbulbs come on for people. People inherently want to be led. When they aren’t or when they don’t have guardrails, they’ll go the path of least resistance. When you are inclusive of them in the process and engage their opinions and thoughts along the way, they become enrolled and feel like they are a valuable contributor. This builds relationships. This builds trust. This builds camaraderie. This builds confidence. This builds a team. This builds results. This builds retention. This scales a company. “You don’t build a business. You build people, and people build the business.” -Zig Ziglar #EvokeGreatness #LeadershipLessons

👉 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 

What else can't we "out-train?" Unclear expectations! When the expectations for success are unclear, it's difficult for anyone to be successful. In this article, I tell the story of Stefanie and Helene, two well-meaning managers who came to me requesting the creation of a training boot camp to solve for poor performance on their team. After asking a few key questions, we quickly discovered that Stefanie and Helene's individual expectations of how team members did their work were in direct conflict. Their lack of clarity was creating confusion and frustration in the team which led to poor performance and likely played a part in poor retention as well! Once they clarified the expectations between themselves, the managers found there was no need for a lengthy training boot camp! Here are a few best practices that I used to get to this conclusion: 1️⃣ SAY "YES" FIRST AND THEN GET CURIOUS. I took the meeting with these managers knowing that we wanted to help, but didn't have the bandwidth to create a full on training boot camp. I was curious to know what we could do and asked questions to get there. 2️⃣ START BY DIVING INTO THE IDENTIFIED PROBLEM. I started by asking questions about the problem that the managers had already identified instead of questions about learning outcomes or design. 3️⃣ ASK QUESTIONS THAT SEARCH FOR EVIDENCE, NOT SOLUTIONS. I asked questions that focused on evidence of the problem, not what solutions were needed (they already thought they had the solution - a boot camp). 4️⃣ IF THE REASON IS OBVIOUS, POINT IT OUT IN GENTLE FASHION. Stakeholders are smart, but sometimes they are blinded by their own roles, closeness to the problem, and/or busy, overflowing plates. Pointing out that their expectations were in conflict was all these two managers needed to move forward. 🏆 WIN! In this instance, just asking different questions was enough to illuminate unclear expectations. That is what this team needed to improve performance. We helped them immensely and never created a training because it wouldn't have solved the problem. Have you been able to help a stakeholder determine training won't solve their problems? Please share your story! Also, click into the article to read the full story including more examples of questions asked, etc. #learninganddevelopment #talentdevelopment #organizationaldevelopment #leadership #expectations #training

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

“I’ve seen what my team is capable of, but right now, they are not performing to their full potential, and I don’t know why…” 🤷♂️🤷♀️ This is a common frustration I’ve seen when working with CEOs, and after having done many consultancies to find an answer, here is a checklist ✅📝 I’ve developed that might help you as you lead your team to peak performance: 1️⃣ PRAISE 👍: Typically, there is less than 10% overlap between how good people are and how good they think they are. So, show them what they are capable of by giving timely and specific praise. Help them be aware of the reasons behind their success so they know how to replicate them. 2️⃣ CLARITY ON EXPECTATIONS 📋: Make them aware of what excellence looks like and what specific actions they need to take to succeed. 3️⃣ MOTIVATION 📣: Check in with your leaders on their motivation level. → Are they going through something challenging in their personal life? → Are they on a path to burnout and need time off? → Do they feel stagnant in their role and need new challenges? 4️⃣ TEAM DYNAMICS 🤼♀️: ask your leaders if they feel supported by their teams. → Are there altered roles or responsibilities? → Is there a perceived lack of recognition or change in status? → Are there conflicts that need mediation? 5️⃣ YOUR LEADERSHIP 💼: at least 30% of employees’ performance is the product of how they’re managed, meaning that your leadership could play a big role in determining whether people are reaching their potential or not. So, ask your team for feedback on whether your leadership is supporting them or not and how it could improve. -- #skillfullcommunication #betterrelations #assertivecommunications