A few months ago I was reading an article in an industry trade magazine. It was about top-down communication in organizations. Here were the survey results:
When top management was asked if their front-line team members clearly knew what was expected of them, over 80% said yes. Then the group asked the front-line people if they were clear on exactly what was expected of them. Only 40% said yes. That is quite a gap, isn’t it? It can also be costly. As leaders, we need to clearly communicate our expectations. Here is an example:
If you are a baseball fan you may have seen an illustration of this fundamental this past summer. Dexter Fowler is the center fielder for the Chicago Cubs. After the all-star break, his batting average slipped to .204. His coach knew that a center fielder must average at least .250 if the team is going to play at the championship level. Dexter was given a few days off. In his time off, I am not sure what he did. He could have worked with his batting coach, or maybe he just rested. It doesn’t matter. When he returned to play, his batting average went back up to where it needed to be. The team went on to the playoffs, and even though they didn’t win the pennant, it was a good season.
When we look at performance, there are two important areas of clarity we should communicate:
Here is what you are paid to do. (Why your job exists)
Here is the level of performance we expect.
We don’t do the team or the individual any good if we tolerate underperformance. As leaders, we need to clearly communicate expectations so that we can count on our ability to hold people accountable, and be the best!
