Setting Expectations with Your Team

Provide Structure

Providing structure starts with defining a direction and setting clear boundaries. Your direction might come from your boss, your customers, your own vision for the future, or even from the collective wisdom of your team. However it comes about, it needs to be clearly articulated and spoken about often. It ensures you are all on the same page in terms of what needs to be accomplished.

Next, setting clear boundaries requires defining what is within the scope of work and what is not, what appropriate behavior is and what is not, and what productive work is and what is not. Sometimes this feels bossy; as if you are telling people what to do. But when people have guidelines within which to operate, they are actually more empowered to act, take initiative, and innovate.

Clarify Roles

Take a second look at job descriptions and job duties. Do they match the work that is actually being done? Are they an appropriate fit for the structure you have set?

Generally, you can expect a job description to accurately describe 50-75% of the role. The rest may require adaptability as needs arise and priorities shift.

Keep in mind job descriptions are the baseline minimum expectation. For those on your team seeking advancement, a career development conversation should focus on above and beyond.

Set Motivating Goals

It is incredibly important to get goals right. When goals support key initiatives and are aligned with the department or organization’s strategic goals, they have a lot of power to direct work almost effortlessly. And when work piles up, stress mounts, and we start to lose sight of how to prioritize, goals can refocus our efforts and help keep us on track.

To be motivating, goals should make a difference, be fairly urgent, have a measurable accomplishment tied to them, and sound challenging. There should be a visible difference between the success and failure of a goal, the timeframe for accomplishment should be shorter than one year, and the completion of the goal should evoke a sense of pride.

Give and Receive Feedback

Nobody is perfect; a conversation that includes two-way feedback is one of the best ways to ensure continued improvement, upward progress, and ultimately, better performance. Additionally, an honest conversation where you seek and accept feedback without defensiveness or excuses builds trust and your relationship with your team.

"I had been recommended this company when my employer went into administration. They helped me discover what I really wanted in a job and gave me opportunities to explore that. Everyone was so professional and helpful throughout the process, and I now have the perfect job for me and couldn't be happier. Thank you LCA."
Bobbi B, May 2019

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