Performance Expectations - 5 Tips and 5 Questions

People want to understand their role - they want to do well! So by being clear, really clear about what it expected of them, makes a big, big difference! And that improves performance as well as saving you time chasing others around to deliver what you want.

5 Tips

• Be Clear - your people need to know what they are doing, both in terms of actions and the standards that you will be expecting. By being really clear, checking understanding and having it written down makes a big difference.

• Have Patience - accept that people will want to challenge your explanations and that it is your responsibility to ensure that they understand. Enable them, indeed encourage them to come back to you with questions.

• Keep in Touch - by building great relationships with all of your people, you keep open a door which helps them get better clarity of your expectations of them. Help that happen.

• Fine Tune - especially when new roles come along, there may be a need to sit down with the individual and fine tune responsibilities. This doesn't mean weakening, more to show that there is a will, on both sides to make it work.

• Encourage Others - by setting a great example, others in your organisation will take it on board and there provides an opportunity to share learning and encourage new skills and development.

5 Questions

How many of your people have clear Performance Expectations?

What percentage of these people have you discussed their understanding of these expectations and the standard of delivery you expect?

When was the last time you refined the performance expectations of someone in your team?

How do you assess the standards of activity delivery which meet the organisations requirements?

How have you shared you're the Performance Expectations made of yourself, with your people?

With this level of clarity on Performance Expectations, working together becomes a snip and you will have far less timewasting chasing of individuals' performances. And overall, your business/organisational performance will soar.

Copyright 2005 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com. (Note to editors. Feel free to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value - it would be good if you could include a live link)

...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

In The News:

---

MedaSorb Technologies Corporation Announces Management Changes
CNNMoney.com - 2 hours ago
These statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. ...

HE-5 Resources, Corp. Announces Reorganizational Changes Are ...
CNNMoney.com - 6 hours ago
New Management stated the following: "We are very pleased to begin our new operations and to share our visions and exclusive development program whit HE-5 ...

Reuters
Lehman Deal Spins Off Part of Private Equity Unit Into Independent ...
New York Times, United States - 18 hours ago
Under the deal, the private equity firm’s current management, led by Charles Ayres, will purchase the firm’s most recent fund — a $3.3 billion pool of ...
Lehman deal on private equity close Reuters
Lehman Said to Be in Talks to Sell Fund to Managers, Reinet Bloomberg
Lehman to spin out private equity arm: WSJ MarketWatch
Times Online - InvestmentNewsall 115 news articles

United Press International
Management Consulting in the Government?
Newsweek - Jan 8, 2009
In the world of management consulting, high-powered and often expensive contractors infiltrate all levels of a company to determine how it can run more ...
Chief Performance Officer: Nancy Killefer TIME
Obama's performance czar has tried to improve IRS The Associated Press
Ex-Treasury CFO to Be Obama's Chief Performance Officer CFO.com Magazine
GovExec.com - MSNBCall 486 news articles

Amazon’s New Management Console Treads Lightly
GigaOm, CA - 2 hours ago
Today, Amazon ( s AMZN) Web Services announced a management console that illustrates how carefully Amazon is playing its role as a platform provider. ...
Amazon Web Services Launches Management Console CMSWire
Amazon Web Services releases web-based EC2 console CNET News
Amazon EC2 launches Web-based management console Examiner.com
ReadWriteWeb - PC Worldall 28 news articles

Peregrine management drops buyout plan, shares fall
Reuters - 8 hours ago
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 9 (Reuters) - South African wealth and asset management firm Peregrine Holdings Limited (PGRJ.J) said on Friday a management buyout plan ...

Ipswitch WhatsUp Gold Network Management Gives Back in 2009
MSNBC - 11 hours ago
LEXINGTON, MA - Ipswitch, Inc.'s Network Management division, the leading developer of affordable and easy to use network management software, WhatsUp Gold, ...

JPMorgan Asset Management's Bull SA Stake Falls To 1.72%
CNNMoney.com - 4 hours ago
PARIS -(Dow Jones)- JPMorgan Asset Management's stake in French IT company Bull SA (BULL.FR) has fallen through the 5% threshold to 1.72%, according to a ...

Wealth Bulletin
Boston hedge fund shuttering after Madoff bet
Reuters - 29 minutes ago
By Svea Herbst-Bayliss BOSTON (Reuters) - Hedge-fund firm GMB Capital Management is shutting down a fund that lost more than $50 million on bad bets that ...
Uma Thurman No Help to Arpad Busson in Madoff Fraud’s Nightmare Bloomberg
Keller Rohrback LLP Announces Investigation of Holding Companies ... MSNBC
Mackenzie Fund Had Exposure to Madoff Hedge Fund Net
San Francisco Chronicle - Advanced Tradingall 42 news articles

MinnPost.com
Report: Star Tribune union end negotiations with management
Bizjournals.com, NC - 6 hours ago
The Star Tribune unit of the Minnesota Newspaper Guild has ended negotiations with the paper’s management on labor concessions, Guild Co-Chairman Graydon ...
Star Tribune, newsroom union end concessions talks The Associated Press
all 55 news articles

management - Google News

Five Ways to Turn Resistance into Opportunity

Resistance. It isn't something people cherish or enjoy encountering. We experience resistance everywhere at work:People don't like that idea.People don't want the work flow to change.Someone doesn't... Read More

Management Training: Are You Satisfied With The Results?

If you're not satfied with the results of your management training programs, maybe it's because you handle training as a 'one shot' event rather than a process... Read More

Cultural Awareness - an HR Perspective

The use of cultural awareness training has increased rapidly in the majority of global companies over the last decade.My experience working in global companies in which effective... Read More

Great Groups! - Getting a Group to Think Like a Genius

Great Groups! - Getting a Group to Think Like a Genius Wouldn't it be great to have an Edison or Einstein, or Mozart at your next meeting?... Read More

Operating on Perpetual Overload?

Check Out Your E-HabitsAnother week has ended. And, despite moving at the speed of light, you've once again barely made a dent in your more important goals... Read More

Business Innovation ? Organizational Culture

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this... Read More

The Diamond Cutter

Geshe Michael Roach is a Princeton graduate and a Buddhist monk. After graduation, he spent seven years studying the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism. At the suggestion of... Read More

Lean Principles in Action

AbstractThe electrical products industry is one characterized by fierce competition, declining margins, and legislative regulations, all that have forced the majority of electrical product manufacturers to rethink... Read More

10 Steps When You Need Help in Your Business

If you think ahead and plan, many nightmare panic and chaos situations can be overcome. By ensuring that you have a great group of people around you,... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Reduce the High Cost of Employee Absenteeism

Employers pay a high price for absenteeism, often more than they may realize, in terms of both financial and production losses and employee morale. Managers may view... Read More

Encouraging Behavior That Gets Results

You're the boss, and you have every reason to feel good about your organization.You've built a great team.You've put strong players in every spot.You have clearly defined... Read More

Knowing versus Doing - Execution In The Workplace

Have you ever worked with someone who always seemed to have the answers; who always seemed to know what should be done; who could always quote the... Read More

Do the People in Your Organisation Dress For Success?

What really amazes me, with all the personal and professional development seminars people attend, from executives in corporate world, business owners and employees alike, very little investment... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management - Core Competencies and Competitive Advantage

Following is a brief definition of core competencies and competitive advantage and their fit with creativity and innovation management.Core Competence:A core competence is one which critically underpins... Read More

Bosses Are Out ? Managers As Coaches Are In

There is a new trend taking hold in business today which translates into amazing productivity, results, and a happier workforce. It's easy, positive, and some say transformative;... Read More

Four Employee Behaviors That Can Kill Your Business

I found it important to clarify for employees what "deal-breaker" behavior was at my company. These are the things I insisted would not be tolerated and would... Read More

Think it Over

You can't solve a problem with the same thinking that created it. Albert Einstein Every decision is a deliberate act. It's the result... Read More

Innovation Management ? some ideas are better than others

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem... Read More

MANAGING CRISIS; when you?re too good at it

When you are acclaimed for excellence during times of crisis you may not feel so good in a non-crisis environment. You may not shine so bright, perform... Read More

Help Your Employees Prepare for a Performance Appraisal

PREPARING EMPLOYEES FOR THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL INTERVIEWS: Remind employees to give some thought to the purpose of performance appraisal: it is a means to learn from the... Read More

Training Adults, Not Teaching Children

Adults are vulnerable to personal and professional embarrassment from poor performance in the training program. Poor performance in the classroom may become the basis for personnel decisions... Read More

Successful Business Decision Making

Some people make decisions without any difficulty, while others struggle. Are you having trouble making a decision? Do you feel overwhelmed by all the choices you have,... Read More

Give Yourself a Boss Day Gift, Part 2: Are You the Position or the Person?

Are you the position or the person?Bosses can lose their own identity sometimes. It's easy. It happens a lot. The results are devastating to both the workers... Read More

Great Hires: Avoid Costly Mistakes

Picking people for a job is like going to the store to buy apples. Before you go, you ought to know whether the apples are... Read More

Enhancing the Motivational Climate of Your Workplace

It has been well documented that employees' productivity and job quality increase when we are made to feel welcome at work. In other words, when the motivational... Read More

Computer Consulting 101 Hiring Tips (Part 1 of 2)

Does your business need the services of a computer consulting firm? Before you rush out and hire the first techie or slick-salesperson that knocks on your door,... Read More