One of the most important things that you can do, to help your organization be as effective as it can be, is to offer your team of people clear job descriptions and expectations.
Running a business is not easy; whether it is a small company or a Fortune 100 corporation, there consistently seems to be challenges that arise and some of them are due to people not necessarily understanding what is expected of them. In today’s ever-hectic pace of business, clear communication is more crucial now than ever.
Some tips to help:
* Distribute written job descriptions. If this was not done upon hiring of the individual, bring it out during the review process. It is not a bad idea to do a periodical review of it and update as needed or to help the individual see areas for growth and new understandings. This can also help if there are internal struggles taking place due to confusion about the leadership structure. To some people, hierarchy, and where they fit in it, is important. Even though it may seem petty to the new leader of today, some structure is still a good idea to relate because of the different kinds of personalities within your group.
* Communicate what you expect of those who work with, and for, you. Instead of simply asking for a task to be completed, and then getting upset because it wasn’t done the way you had hoped, take a few moments to truly clarify what the desired end result is. Do not use vague words like recently, soon or always. This does not state that you need to be anal about every detail and how you want things done. However, in order to have your team working efficiently, it is important that they have a general idea of your expected outcome and timeline.
* Take the needed time to work the individuals who are not meeting your expectations. It is not only important for you to communicate initially what you expect, but if you see a consistent pattern that is not what you are looking for, take the time to adjust it. Don’t ignore it and let it continue; if you do, you’ll either be the one redoing the project or getting consistently frustrated. Managing people takes energy and part of that role is to help people be as effective as they possibly can. Of course, the desire is their responsibility; the process, though, could be part yours.
* Share the visionoften. As a leader, it is expected that you have a vision for your business and part of your role is to make sure that the people around you do not forget it. The chaos of today’s workplace allows big picture dreams to get lost-in-the-shuffle. Do your part to consistently share what you stand for, what the goals of the organization are and how they personally fit in with that. You are the cheerleader.
Utilize these four skills and you’ll see that they work. Clear expectations are crucial to having an effective, profitable organization.
Peggy L. McNamara works with organizations that want to Stimulate Some
Action and with association executives that want inspiring, practical
value from their events. Author of “My Tender Soul – A Story of Survival”
Publishes monthly e-zine, “Perpetual Life Management” President/Minnesota
Chapter/ Nat’l Speakers Assoc 651-438-2656 – direct 651-438-2694 – fax
888-269-7771 http://www.peggymcnamara.com
