No employee can possibly succeed, let alone excel, if he is not fully aware of what the job “done right” is, or what the performance expectations are. Though it seems like these expectations would obviously be in place, most of the time they are not.

I have asked hundreds of employees in my years of consulting and teaching what is expected of them – then asked their managers the same question. In most cases (if the employee knew their expectations) their responses didn’t agree. This creates two enormous problems:

1. Employees don’t know what is expected and therefore cannot be held accountable for specific performance.
2. Management is not achieving the results they want, need and expect because employees are not clear of what management needs them to do.

Here are three ways to get everyone on the same page when it comes to performance expectations:

1. Link employee performance to specific company strategies.
2. Ensure all employee performance expectations can be quantified, measured and managed.
3. Review performance expectations monthly with employees; work with them to develop a strategy to achieve their expectations. Coach, mentor and educate as needed. (This is actually today’s management’s real job).

Practical example:

Company strategy:  Increase sales volume of a new product line by x%.

Link employee performance to company strategy (examples):

• Create marketing materials for email distribution about new product by x date.
• Create internal training program to improve how sales force sells the product; ensure all sales employees participate in training and pass assessment with a score of x% or greater by x date.

Review expectations monthly:

• Meet regularly with employees to review their plans to implement their component of the strategy, progress, successes and obstacles. Respond to performance level with coaching, education and/or applause.

Performance expectations take away excuses, drive performance and show skill challenges (to be corrected). Performance improves when employees know what is expected and management coaches, guides and educates employees to achieve their expectations. Get on the same page. Be sure employees know what “done right” is.

 

 

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This entry was posted on Thursday, August 23rd, 2012 at 1:11 pm and is filed under For Managers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.