To perform well, employees need to know what is expected of them.
Well-defined expectations produce effective teams with employees who know the role they play and the purpose they serve. When you and an employee set clear expectations about the results that must be achieved, and the methods or approaches needed to achieve them, you establish a path for success.
The starting point is an up-to-date job description that describes the essential functions, tasks, and responsibilities of the job. It also outlines the general areas of knowledge and skills required for the employee to be successful in the job.
But performance expectations go far beyond the job description.
In discussing performance expectations an employee should understand why the job exists, where it fits in the organisation, and how the job’s responsibilities link to organisation and department objectives. The range of performance expectations can be broad but can generally be broken into two categories:
- Measurable Results and Targets – what and how much needs to be produced
- Observable Actions & Behaviours – what good looks like and how people are expected to behave
Measurable Results and Performance Targets
Sometimes goals are too vague or distant. Employees lack commitment or become demotivated because they don’t know what they are aiming for. Setting a specific target that is also realistic, removes ambiguity and means that everyone knows what they need to achieve.
But targets don’t just tell us what we are aiming for – they help us measure the distance by which we fall short, and the amount of work we need to do to make it up.
Make targets fun! In short, the idea is to take cues from the compulsive behaviour often elicited from people through games, particularly video games. Point scoring, bonuses and a structured reward system all act as psychological “hooks” which persuade people to engage.
Observable Actions and Behaviours
Organisational expectations are often defined in a Competency Framework where a number of competencies and behaviours are described reflecting the culture of the organisation.
The CIPD states that Competency Frameworks, when done well, can increase clarity around performance expectations and establish a clear link between individual and organisational performance. For more information about how a Competency framework can benefit your organisation please take a look at this link. Competence & Competency Frameworks | Factsheets | CIPD
If you don’t have a Competency Framework to work from, you can discuss required behaviours and attitudes, and what they look like in action with your team. This brings agreement, cohesiveness, and unity to the way that you work together. The way team members act and interact with one another ultimately affects a company’s bottom line. In general, positive, professional behaviours fuel productivity, while poor, unprofessional behaviours are hindrances to growth.
Please look out for the next blog in this series of 4 where we talk about Assessing Performance.
