What Are Your Expectations?

orkers always work harder and smarter when they know what is expected of them. My experience with my clients bears it out. You know this to be the case from the times you have been very clear about your expectations. When you share your expectations with the people that make a difference to your bottom line, those people rise to the level of your expectations.

What are your expectations? Expectations are different from goals, as they focus on the specific behaviors that you expect from yourself and others. Goals are what you and others are going to do. Expectations are the behaviors that you and others propose to use to achieve your goals.

Joel D. Anderson is the Executive Director of the International Warehouse Logistics Association and has been in that capacity for the last 11 months. I am lucky to have him as a coaching client. He recently shared with me an e-mail that he sent to his employees outlining his expectations. He calls them his seven key practices.

I wanted to share them with you because they are really well done. You may find them helpful to you in defining your own expectations. If you would like to learn more about the difference having clear expectations makes for Joel and the organization, you may contact him at janderson@iwla.com.

My seven key practices:

1. Commence your tasks with your written goals stated before you start. Use the written goals as your benchmarks so that you know when the task is complete in accordance with the desired results. Set goals (SMART WAY), and exceed the goals you have set.
   
   
2. Complete the task on time. It is a sign of respect for those that depend upon you.
   
   
3. Start the task with a personal commitment to exceed your budgeted net revenue. Push yourself to exceed your net income goals by 10%. This way, you will always hit budget and often exceed, which then creates more revenue for the good of the organization.
   
   
4. Maintain a positive attitude toward yourself, your colleagues, our members and all the people and organizations that rely on you.
   
   
5. Provide no excuses should you fail in a task. Take responsibility for your actions and diagnose the reasons for the failure. I will not yell, scream or stomp my feet when you fail because it means you tried something new and different. I see failure as a learning experience.
   
   
6. Expect conflict. This is normal among achievers. Courteous and principled disagreements grow a team. Blame throwing, insults, demeaning statements and gossip are destructive to a team. I do not and will not tolerate blaming, character assassinations or gossip. I will not allow any public displays of bad behavior or private ones.
   
   
7. Engage in open communication with other staff members. Share your ideas and when we succeed, we celebrate together, and when we fail, we support each other through our losses.

Do you wonder if your behaviors are helping or hurting you?

Visit my website and click on "Take a Free Assessment" for your free behavioral assessment. 

True leaders are not those who strive to be first, but those who are first to strive and give their all for the success of the team. True leaders are first to see the need, envision the plan, and empower the team for action. By the strength of the leader's commitment, the team is unleashed.

- Author Unknown