Clear expectations are critical for employee and organizational success but helping employees understand expectations is not as clear cut as simply telling them what to do. According to Gallup, less than half of employees strongly agree that they have clear job description and even less (41%) strongly agree that their job description alights with the work they are asked to do.
“Globally, one in two employees strongly agree that they know what is expected of them at work. By increasing that ratio to 8 in 10, organizations could realize a 22% reduction in turnover…”
Gallup Survey (Clifton / Harter)
Managers can help this by defining and discussing expectations for each person’s role. The best managers and team leaders set clear expectations for members and painting a picture of what success looks like for the employee, the team, and the organization. Outstanding managers provide formal and informal feedback and they consistently develop feedback loops into their work culture. This proactive management by the manager helps offer clarity for the employees to understand what’s expected and allows the manager to recognize and reaffirm successes.