Setting clear expectations with your clients, your team, your contractors and your suppliers is so important.
STORY TIME:
One of my previous businesses was a teambuilding and training business. We ran events for large corporate groups and wanted to make sure that we got things right. We always made sure that we were set up and ready to go well before we were due to start. This gave us time to make sure our team was properly briefed and if our client was running early, we would still be good to start.
This meant that our team would need to arrive early in the morning for work, it used to be a source of constant frustration for me when staff would drive through the office gate exactly on time. I would be even more “displeased” if they arrived late.
One day I was fortunate to over hear one of our team members speaking to a new recruit. What he said made me smile and made me realise that I was totally responsible for feeling frustrated as I had not set clear expectations.
He said to the new team member… “In Sam’s mind, if you’re on time, you’re late - arrive early!”
After hearing this I sat down with our team and we created a “Working with Document” where we clearly defined what our expectations were of each other. This made it so much easier for the team to hold each other accountable and take responsibility for meeting those expectations.
How has not clearly defining your expectations created tension and frustration for you?