Performance Expectations that Make a Difference

Performance Expectations that Make a Difference Performance Expectations that Make a Difference All employees want to know what’s expected of them, and any manager should be able to answer this question. Getting clear on the expectations for a job is required to write a job description, advertise for a position, employee selection, employee orientation, goal setting, feedback and coaching, and annual performance reviews. There was  a 2003 study  conducted by the Learning and Development Roundtable which found that  explaining performance expectations  had the highest return on investment of any manager-led employee development activity. Higher than providing feedback, coaching, giving advice, or individual development plans. The study also found that managers who are effective at employee development can outperform their peers by up to 25%. Explaining performance expectations is important to employees, it improves productivity, and it doesn’t cost a dime. So then why are so many employees still being kept in the dark when it comes to figuring out what’s important to their managers? Why won’t managers do it? Setting Expectations So why don’t more managers do it? Is it that, like a lot of management and HR practices, we make it sound more complicated than it needs to be? If you’ve ever sat through a lesson on how to write  SMART goals, you might come to that conclusion too. It doesnt have to be. Here is a simple, yet effective method: Set aside 30 minutes of uninterrupted time. Turn off your phone, your email, and shut your door.Take out a blank pad of paper and a pen, or open up a Word document.Think about what you would look for in an ideal employee if you were hiring someone tomorrow. Jot those things down.Think back to all of the performance improvement discussions you’ve had with employees over the last few years. Jot the opposite of those things down. For example, if the discussion was about poor customer service, write, “Provide outstanding customer service.” Think about all of the things that are important to you that you  have not  discussed with employees, but you have implied. Add to your list.Think of your best employees â€" what has made them so good? What does their best work look like and how do they do it? You got it, more for your list.Take a look at the generic performance criteria that is provided by HR on the company performance appraisal form. For each item, describe  in your own words  what “good” looks like for your employees. At the end of 30 minutes or sooner, you should have no problem filling up at least one sheet of paper. Whatever you do, don’t go back and sanitize it. It is not  an official HR job description  that has to pass EEO and the department of labor standards. It’s simply a list of stuff that anyone who has worked for you for five years has probably figured out.