The Super Power Your Leaders need: Expectation Setting

Summary

Setting clear expectations is key to employee performance and organizational success. When employees understand their responsibilities, goals, and how their work aligns with the broader objectives of the organization, they are more likely to feel engaged and motivated.

Benefits of clear expectations

A 2021 report by the Harvard Business Review revealed that companies with well-defined expectations typically experience a staggering 20% increase in employee engagement.

Clear expectations help reduce ambiguity, allowing employees to focus on their tasks without the stress of uncertainty. Clarity is even more important for GenZ. According to a McKinsey Study, GenZ employees prioritize understanding the"truth" above all else.

When managers communicate expectations effectively, it opens the door for meaningful feedback. According to PwC, nearly 60% of employees surveyed stated that they would like feedback on a daily or weekly basis — a number that increased to 72% for employees under age 30.

By investing time in defining and communicating role expectations, organizations can create a more cohesive and high-performing workforce, ultimately driving better results and fostering a positive workplace culture.

So, what is an expectation?

An expectation is a belief that something will happen. In a work context, an expectation is an agreement that an employee will demonstrate an action, behavior, or outcome.

Company values are expectations that employees will act in a certain way. A job description is an expectation that an employee will perform tasks, demonstrate skills, and achieve certain goals. Other expectations include goals, milestones, and plans.

What makes for a good expectation?

Use the 4Cs to set expectations like a pro.

Communicate (communicate, communicate): an expectation that doesn't reach its audience is never going to happen. Turns out, we humans need to hear information repeatedly for it to stick research says 2-7 times. Science says that . Another report by HBR found that managers need to repeat an ask at least two times.

Clear: the more measurable an expectation is, the easier it is for someone to understand and achieve. Specific metrics, timelines, and examples make the goal post clear.

Compelling: align the expectation with the success of its audience. Millennial workers rank personal development as their top priority when they choose a role according to McKinsey research. 26% of GenZ say personal development is their top priority.

Commitment: it's essential to get buy-in. Without this, you may end up in conflict, confusion, or micromanagement down the track. Getting agreement makes the expectation real and can prompt important discussions about clarity, risks, and resources needed.

Template

Use this Mad-Lib style template to share incredibly clear expectations with your team. You can change up the language to match your style. However, first focus on ticking off each of the elements of an iron-clad expectation.

We agree that you will accomplish _____ result (what, metric/milestone) with ________ people (who, if applicable) by displaying ____ skills/behaviors (how) by ____ time (when) with check-ins on ______ dates (when) because ______ (why, motivation/context).

Iron-Clad Components

• What, metric/milestone – This is the one we usually all get 🙂 but it is incredibly important to think through how specific you can get there.
• Who – Who needs to accomplish this? Is it an individual or group project? Are there stakeholders to include?
• How – Are there specific behaviors to display while performing this expectation?
• When – Exactly when (date and time) is this expectation due?
• When – When will you check in with them? If this is not defined, check ins could start feeling like micro management.
• Why – Give people motivation and context. This could be motivation towards a promotion or could be context as to why the work is important to the company.