What’s a 10?
I had breakfast the other day with a couple of business owners. They expressed their frustration over years of trying to get employees to meet their expectations. They told people nearly everyday that they "wanted a 10." "Let's get to a 10," they would say. "We're at a 7 or 8, and we need to be at a 10."
You might think they were painting a clear vision on a daily basis of their expectations. The problem they discovered was that no one knew what it meant to be a 10.
To the owners, it meant creating a Four Seasons type of customer experience, problems being resolved before they were ever noticed, and innovative and creative new ways of getting work done. One day in a meeting with managers, one owner finally asked each person in the room what "being a 10" meant to them, and was shocked to discover that they each gave a wildly unique answer.
In the absence of information, people make it up.
In the absence of clear expectations, people create their own.
The odds that people will create their own expectations that meet or exceed your own are not in your favor. The real danger comes from believing that we have been clear in our expectations, only to find out later that a lack of understanding has created unnecessary frustrations for ourselves and our employees. We can even use the same word or phrase and interpret it differently.
Save yourself and others from the frustrations that come with a lack of clarity by keeping these things in mind:
People CANNOT read your mind.
If you think you've told someone what you expect but you're not absolutely sure, ask. And tell them again. And again. I worked with one company president who believed that when he was absolutely sick of hearing himself repeat a key message, he knew it was finally being heard by a majority of employees.
People can't meet expectations they don't know exist.
The best way to make sure everyone is clear about expectations is to write them down and reference them often. This might mean documenting annual goals, posting key metrics that matter, or ending a meeting with a follow up email of who does what by when. Make sure as you share expectations, people not only hear but understand.
Check for understanding.
The only way to know for sure that someone understands you is to check. Ask someone to paraphrase back what you've asked them to do. Let them describe what success looks like, and verify or modify as needed. Even check to be sure you're clear on the small details, such as a due date or which project has priority.
If you work in real estate, it's all about location, location, location. If you're leading people and expect them to meet your expectations, it's all about clarity, clarity, clarity.