Want better results?
Let's get clear on what that is first.
What is Poor Performance? Is it coming last in a competition or coming second?
What is Poor service? Being ignored by your server, receiving bad-tasting food, or being made to wait for a few minutes?
We all have different expectations of what is good and bad, and our experiences help us formulate our perceptions.
I recently delivered a program on Service Excellence, and we had some fantastic conversations about service levels and how we can identify whether we provide excellent service, mediocre service, or what is defined as poor service.
Living in the US changed the way I tip for service. It's an expectation that you tip, and if you don't, it's an insult, whereas in the UK, I would tip only if the service was excellent.
Culturally, I have a different expectation of when a tip is deserved, something I still have to think about so that I behave appropriately to where I am.
Managers measuring performance can create conflict if their expectations differ from those of the person being measured. Who is right, and who is wrong? It's very subjective.
Unless we clearly define what performance should look, feel, and sound like, it can be difficult to justify our perceptions.
So, what clear expectations should we set to get better results from our teams?
Meeting deadlines
Accuracy of work
Being at work on time
Appropriate behavior
Sounds obvious.
But what does meeting deadlines mean?
What is appropriate behavior?
How accurate is accurate?
I believe that being "on time" means being 10 minutes early; others may think that being late is arriving a few hours after the agreed time.
Learning to open the conversation and collaborate on the goals will ensure that you both see and expect the same thing.
Talk about what meeting the deadline means to you and what is means to them. Be specific about the time, day and year (if it could be misconstrued) and the specific outcome you are looking for.
As a leader, the best way to confirm your instruction is to ask for their understanding. Is it the same as yours? If not, you will need to find another way to describe precisely what you want.
And then ask yourself: Are you setting goals and performance measures to our own standard or a standard recognized across the business or the environmental norms.
Be really clear and then be prepared to be challenged. Whose goals are you setting? Whose expectations are you expecting?
Also, consider the generational gaps I discussed in last month's PING! Check it out if you want more ideas on how to reach different generations.
In my next PING! I will share some of the types of issues that might create poor performance even when you follow all these steps. So don't miss it.
Please share this with anyone you feel might be struggling with their teams or is generally interested in creating and building high-functioning teams.
If you're hungry for more tips or insights, explore my other Ping moments or drop me a line. Let's collaborate to uncover what you haven't yet discovered about yourself and your team.
Send me an email. I'd love to hear from you!
Book a FREE 30 minute exploration call
Thanks for reading, I hope this has given you some things to think about and you have some of your own Lightbulb Moments.
I'd love to hear about them.
If you would like some help experiencing them, I'd love to help.
Please share this with anyone you know who loves experiencing Lightbulb Moments.
Enjoy the Ping!
Viki Johnston