Do Your Employees Know Your Expectations?
Cathie Leimbach • September 16, 2020
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Years ago, when I was participating in an exchange program to Britain, I was unclear about how to meet my host’s expectations. She asked me to make cucumber sandwiches and handed me bread, butter, cucumbers, and the necessary kitchen tools. I asked her how she wanted me to make them and was told it was up to me.
My only experience with cucumber sandwiches had been at High Tea. The bread had been cut in dainty circles, spread with cream cheese, and topped with a cucumber slice. But my host hadn’t provided a round cookie cutter nor cream cheese. And I thought it strange to put slices of cucumber between two slices of bread. My host left the kitchen and I proceeded to make basic open-faced cucumber sandwiches with quartered slices of buttered bread and a couple of cucumber slices. When she returned, her quizzical facial expression showed this wasn’t what she had in mind.
She was expecting cucumber slices between two slices of buttered bread. She didn’t care whether I buttered the bread or sliced the cucumber first, nor whether the sandwiches were cut into two or four pieces. She had empowered me to make the sandwiches HOW I wished but had assumed that I knew WHAT a cucumber sandwich looked like to her.
Similarly, many employees report that they struggle to meet workplace expectations because they don’t know what their supervisor or the company expects from them. They don’t know if fulfilling 20 takeout orders per hour or calling 75 prospects per day is considered good performance. The sales rep may not know what to do when they get voicemail; do they leave a message or not?
Effective managers are very clear. Each staff member knows what they are expected to accomplish each day. The manager communicates what the staff are to achieve, the volume of work to be accomplished, and the required quality standards.
Providing a very specific description of the results staff are expected to achieve, is essential in developing high performing team members. Start with one result you want that at least one staff person is not pulling off. Show and tell that individual the exact outcome you are looking for. Then, ask them to state your expectations so you can see if your explanation was adequate.
Until they can list all of your expectations - that is, they can accurately describe WHAT the desired result is - they won’t be able to achieve the results you are seeking. The ball is in your court, manager!
Most CEOs focus on strategy, systems, and talent. But the biggest driver of performance is already in place: managers. Manager behavior influences about 70% of team engagement and results. What happens in everyday conversations matters more than perks, pay, or policies. Managers either multiply energy or drain it. Clear, supportive managers raise performance. Avoiding, inconsistent managers quietly lower it. The good news? Small habits make a big difference: Clarifying expectations Giving timely feedback Addressing issues early Reinforcing priorities These moments add up. Instead of telling managers to “motivate people,” try asking: Where might expectations be unclear? Where is inconsistency allowed? What conversation is being avoided? When managers improve just a little, results improve a lot. 👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation to explore how everyday manager habits quietly shape engagement and results.
When engagement drops, many organizations reach for perks—rewards, programs, or incentives. These can create a short lift, but they rarely solve the real issue. Engagement starts with expectations. Most people want to do good work. What gets in the way isn’t motivation—it’s uncertainty. When priorities shift, roles feel unclear, or success means different things to different leaders, people disengage quietly. Leaders often don’t realize they’re contributing to this. Vague direction, inconsistent follow-through, or assuming “they already know” leaves teams guessing. Over time, guessing turns into frustration—and frustration turns into disengagement. Strong engagement cultures focus on leadership basics: Clear priorities Shared definitions of success Aligned expectations Consistent reinforcement When expectations are clear, people move with confidence. They take ownership, collaborate better, and stay engaged because they know where they’re headed. Perks can support engagement—but only after clarity is in place. 👉 Read our full article on Why Engagement Starts With Expectations to turn clarity into a real advantage.