Page 115 - 4- Leading_from_Within
P. 115
that it isn’t assumed that others understand what is being expected of
them. Removing any doubt or speculation builds clarity and improves the
working relationship. The following are three questions that can lead to an
improved understanding of management expectations by employees.
135
1. Do people know what is expected of them? Too often it is
assumed that people know what they are supposed to be doing
within the organization. People may know their tasks, but often lack
knowledge about how what they do helps the entire organization.
For example, if an employee works in marketing, he or she needs to
know how vital his or her job is to the successful performance of the
organization. People need to be told and then reminded of the
importance of their work.
2. Do employees know what they can expect from you? It is
important to let employees know that you as their manager are
available to them. How you define “available” may vary from
employee to employee. For new hires, you might be more teacher
than boss. For experienced employees, you may play the coaching
role. For the team, you will be the supplier of resources as well as
their champion.
3. Do employees know what is expected of each other? While
managers need to make certain employees are doing what is asked of
them, employees must also do their part to coordinate with each
other. Whether a self-managed team makes its own assignments or a
manager makes the assignments, what matters most is that
employees know who does what so work can be completed in a
timely and responsible fashion.
Clearly, expectations cannot be better understood without discussion
between management and employees. The following table demonstrates
how this discussion might proceed under different scenarios. 136
135 John Baldoni, “Ask Three Questions to Clarify Expectations.” http://blogs.hbr.org/2009/08/three-
questions-to-clarify/.
136 “Clarifying Performance Expectations,” State of Louisiana Manual for Management in State
Government:
David Kolzow 115
