Are you crystal clear of what is expected of you at work?
One of the clearest indicators of a miserable job is a lack of clear expectations. What am I responsible for? Who do I report to? Who will tell me how I am doing? Do I get regular, consistent feedback on my work performance? Clear answers to these questions are critical for a healthy work environment. Many of us do not have personal clarity on what is expected of us at work. Others of us are leaders in organizations that don’t make expectations clear for those who work in the organization.
Travis Dommert, president of IRUNURUN, says, “Crystal clarity is the single most important factor in determining whether or not you have a workplace that will attract and retain top performers. Even marginal uncertainty can undermine the focus on the entire organization.”
Solving the following two issues will bring greater health to your work environment:
1. Make sure that you have a clear and updated job description.
How can you possibly know if you are succeeding in your role if it is unclear what is expected of you? You have the right to know what is expected of you in your work. You have the right to have these questions answered. If the person above you has failed to provide you with a job description then Write your Own – Right away. Give it to your supervisor and start a conversation that ends in crystal clear expectations. In presenting the job description that you have written explain that:
- You want to be clear on current expectations.
- This is your understanding of your current role.
- That you want to make sure that you are succeeding in what you are expected to do.
2. Provide all of your direct reports with clear and updated job descriptions.
Every person working for you has the right to know what is expected of him/her. Write everything down. Get it on paper. This process will show you whether a person is succeeding or failing in their role. More than once I have seen a person fired from a position for neglecting to do something they didn’t even know they were supposed to do. Remove the mystery and make expectations clear. When every member of your team has a clear job description, you will have an objective standard to measure how well each person is performing.
3. Review this process Quarterly
Meet quarterly with each of your direct reports to give them honest feedback on how they are doing. Adjust expectations. Improve the clarity. In doing this, you will retain top performers and identify those who consistently fail to meet expectations.
Do you have a clear job description? Comment and continue the conversation!
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