Most Businesses Miss This One Thing

Summary

• Always clearly define and verbalize expectations. This avoids misunderstandings and ensures everyone knows how to meet their goals.
• Avoid assuming that people know how to do their job or what you want. Make sure to provide clear instructions and guidance.
• Lack of clear expectations can lead to unmet goals because when people guess what they should do, they often get it wrong.
• Think about expectations as non-negotiable norms and behaviors that everyone on the team must adhere to.
• Properly outlining expectations helps everyone know how to win or lose the game. This clarity is crucial for team success.

Video

How To Take Action

I would suggest implementing a few key steps to clearly define and verbalize expectations in your small business or personal growth journey. Here’s how:

1. Clearly Define Expectations

First, make a list of all the tasks or goals you want to achieve. Write them down in simple language. For example, if you run a coffee shop, clearly define what a “perfect” cup of coffee looks like to you. This helps avoid any confusion.

2. Verbalize Expectations

Once you’ve defined these tasks, share them with everyone involved. This can be done through team meetings or one-on-one conversations. Make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them. For instance, have a quick daily meeting where expectations for the day are discussed.

3. Provide Clear Instructions and Guidance

Don't assume people know how to achieve the tasks you've set. Share step-by-step instructions so there's no guessing involved. If you’re an entrepreneur, provide a checklist or a how-to guide for each task.

4. Establish Non-Negotiable Norms

Turn your expectations into non-negotiable norms that everyone must follow. For example, if punctuality is important, make it clear that arriving on time is non-negotiable. This way, everyone knows the basic rules they need to follow.

5. Evaluate and Adjust

Finally, regularly check in to see if these expectations are being met. Ask for feedback and be willing to adjust as needed. This can be done through brief weekly reviews where successes and areas for improvement are discussed.

By following these steps, you ensure that everyone knows exactly what’s expected of them, which minimizes misunderstandings and helps achieve goals more effectively.

Full Transcript

it sounds simple but so often in business we don't do it we just let them assume how to do their job and what we want often times expectations are the unsaid Rules of Engagement they're actually non-negotiable agreed upon norms and behaviors that everyone on the team aderes to but often are never verbalized written or explained but here's the thing if you don't properly Define and verbalize your expectations then nobody knows how to win or lose the game lack of clear expectations leads to assumptions ass assumptions lead to unmet goals so if people have to assume how to do something they are less likely to do it than if they know to do something