The Art of Setting Clear Expectations
Cathie Leimbach • October 3, 2023
Being clear about the type of results you want is essential for effective leadership. It provides direction, alignment, and motivation for your team. Here are some tips to help leaders be clear about the results they want:
- Paint a Clear Vision: Create a compelling vision of the desired results. Help your team understand the big picture and why their work matters in achieving that vision.
- Define Specific Goals: Clearly articulate your goals in specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) terms. For example, instead of saying "improve customer satisfaction," specify "increase customer satisfaction scores by 10% in the next quarter."
- Provide Context: Explain the context and the "why" behind the goals. When people understand the reasoning, they are more likely to be engaged and committed to achieving the results.
- Break Down Goals: Divide larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks and milestones. This makes it easier for your team to see the path to success and stay motivated along the way.
- Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Identify key metrics and KPIs that will measure progress toward the desired results. Share these metrics with your team so they can track their performance.
- Prioritize: Clearly define which results are most important and should be prioritized. This helps your team focus their efforts on what matters most.
Being clear about the specific results you want will help your team stay focused, motivated, and aligned toward achieving team and organizational goals.
In leadership, hope may spark positivity—but trust is what sustains it. Trust means your team believes you’re honest, reliable, and truly have their best interests in mind. Without it, people hesitate to share ideas, take risks, or fully engage. Great leaders build trust through consistent actions. They follow through on promises, admit mistakes, and lead with transparency. They listen without judgment, treat everyone with respect, and make decisions that are fair and thoughtful. When leaders communicate clearly and regularly—even when the news is tough—they create a culture of openness. When they give credit generously and support their team both publicly and privately, trust grows even deeper. Over time, trust becomes the foundation for loyalty, collaboration, and high performance. People feel safer, more motivated, and more willing to contribute at their best. Trust doesn’t happen overnight. But with patience, consistency, and care, leaders can build it—and with it, a stronger, more positive workplace.
Leadership isn't just about solving problems—it's about fostering a culture of hope. Hope is a powerful force that can transform workplaces, especially during challenging times. When leaders embody hope, they inspire their teams to believe in a brighter future and persevere through adversity. A hopeful leader sees beyond obstacles and focuses on opportunities. They set clear goals, celebrate small victories, and maintain a positive outlook even in the face of uncertainty. By nurturing hope, they empower their team to stay motivated and resilient. Imagine a workplace where every challenge is met with optimism and every setback is seen as a learning opportunity. That's the environment a hopeful leader cultivates—one where individuals feel supported, valued, and capable of achieving great things together. Let's embrace hope as a cornerstone of leadership. Together, we can create workplaces where positivity thrives, challenges are conquered, and success is a shared journey.