Great Expectations, Great Leaders

Changing the Expectations Game 

“You should have high expectations for yourself and others should come second.” -- Florence Welch, English Musician 

Good leaders have high expectations for direct reports. But setting expectations can often be a one way conversation: the leader delivers and the associate receives.

What if we reframed this traditional approach? What do YOU need to do as a leader to make your people successful? 

I have been blessed to work for a variety of leaders over the years. By my count, it's been 27 different managers in 32 years. Unfortunately, very few actually had expectations for me. We would discuss the technical aspects of my role, and perhaps "no surprises" would be mentioned, but we never discussed how we would build a professional, trusting relationship. 

However, I did have one leader who had expectations for me and my professional growth. In our first meeting, he handed me a one-page document that included two sets of expectations and a personality heads up. This was much more than a document – it formed a trusted relationship. I left his office that day realizing my prior understanding of setting expectations was upside down. Holding individuals accountable when they don’t know what is expected, and are not being effectively led, is a leadership wasteland. We need to recognize our people rely on us for rewards, resources, and career development; and our role is to create a high performing environment. 

Three keys to setting your leadership expectations: 

What I Will Do 
Our people carefully watch our behavior as leaders. Sharing what you will do for your people includes accessibility, responsiveness, and feedback. If you offer to have an open door, respond to their EMAIL or phone calls in 24 hours, or monthly feedback visits – walk the talk. 

My Pet Peeves 
A pet peeve is something that annoys or bothers you so much that it takes you off your game. Examples could be tardiness, complaining about problems without offering solutions, or throwing your peers under the bus. Stay on your game by sharing your three pet peeves so others will understand your hot buttons. 

What I Need 
Leaders need to make sure our associates have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do their job. Once this foundation is established, we need to focus on what is done as well as how it is done - the means to an end. Achieving results while offending others is not the answer. We need our people to achieve their performance goals with effective communication and collaborative teamwork. 

Expect more from yourself to realize more from your people – they will follow the leader. 

Todd