CHAPTER 1

Set Expectations to Avoid Performance Issues

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

As our research and our work has told us, many performance issues result fromthe lack of understanding of performance expectations or the lack of clarity ofthose expectations. Without a clear target, it is impossible for employees toknow where and for what to aim. On the flip side, their managers should not beable to hold them accountable without these same measures or tools.

Leaders need to build a performance-based team whose objectives are consistentwith the organization's vision and mission.

CREATING TEAMS

The synergy that comes from putting employees together to form teams to solveproblems, make decisions, and take action is power that organizations canharness for greater success. In these increasingly complex, changing times foryour business, using the principles of teams can supply more creative solutionsand more powerful support for your teams and the organization as a whole. Withan effective team, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

Creating teams and leading them to success require skill and finesse on the partof the team leaders. We discuss and provide practice for the skills that canhelp make you successful in creating a good team environment.

WHAT DOES A TEAM LOOK LIKE?

To help you determine whether you have a team or just a group of individuals,consider the following questions:

* How do you make decisions?

* How do you deal with conflicts?

* How do you solve problems?

* What happens when things go wrong?

* How do you build a team that makes effective decisions, surfaces and managesconflicts, and works together to solve problems and handle issues?

BUILDING THE VISION

At the center of every high-performance team is a common purpose, a mission thatrises above and beyond each of the individual team members. To be successful,the team's interests and needs must come first. This requires, "we-opic" vision("What's in it for 'we'?"). A challenging step up from the common, "me-opic"mindset.

To embrace this principle, make sure your team purpose and priorities are clear.What is your overall mission? What is your game plan? What is expected of eachteam member? How can each member contribute most effectively? What constantswill hold the team together? Then stop and ask yourself whether you are puttingthe team first.

In order to develop successful plans, it is necessary for managers both tounderstand their organization's strategic vision and to incorporate that visioninto their plans and day-to-day operations. To accomplish this, consider thefollowing steps:

1. Become comfortable articulating your organization's vision and strategicdirection. To clarify and increase your understanding in this area, ask yourselfquestions such as:

* What is the organization's strategic vision?

* What does the strategic vision mean for me and my department?

* What are the future opportunities?

* What talents and resources will I need to accomplish my part?

2. Ask for whatever information you need to understand the strategy anddirection.

3. Link your operational plans with the organization's vision and strategicdirection.

4. Plan for ongoing review and updates to ensure that your departmental planssupport your organization's strategic vision.

Company's Vision/Strategy

If you are unclear about your company's vision, you can get more information by:

* Reading the annual report.

* Attending company meetings, such as town meetings, and reading quarterlyupdates, newsletters, and press releases.

* Talking with members of the management team.

* Reviewing annual objectives.

Your Team's Vision

What is the vision for your current team? What is the purpose of the team? Howdoes your vision fit into the company's overall vision and strategy?

MAKING THE VISION HAPPEN

Now that you have established your vision, established clear expectations foreach team member, and assessed the strengths and weaknesses of your team, it istime to implement the vision and make it happen. The first step in making ithappen is communicating the vision and keeping it alive. Use the followingworksheet to develop your communication plan.

COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE

The communication process can also be thought of as a public relationsinitiative. As we learn in the case studies in Chapter 8, the team'spurpose and vision not only needs to be communicated to the team members, butthey also need to be communicated to the rest of the organization, particularlythose functions with which the teams will be working closely.

STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR TEAM

Many leaders are focused on tasks, results, and projects. While these items areimportant, leaders must also take the time to communicate with their teams.Effectively communicating with team members increases productivity and minimizesconfusion and wasted effort. The following strategies outline opportunities forleaders to communicate with their teams.

* Hold regular staff meetings:

* Make these important meetings a priority.

* Plan an agenda, allowing for changes when needed.

* Include a development activity on a regular basis.

* Keep formal department documents up to date, such as:

* Organizational charts

* Department vision

* Management by objectives (MBOs)

* Hold regular breakfast or lunch meetings monthly or quarterly:

* Discuss current items affecting the department.

* Cover broader items that are happening in the organization.

* Allow for and encourage questions.

* Display current "news" items. Put up a bulletin board or something similar fordepartment and company news items to be placed. Keep it current.

* Hold impromptu meetings as needed. When new, urgent information comes to yourattention, share this information with those on your team who are...