Team performance is co-created through understanding the 'rules' of operation and developing a shared and common expectation of performance of these 'rules'. This understanding is impacted by expectations in our workplace relationships of the team and team leader manifesting in an anticipation of behaviour, performance and ultimately reward.
An organisation expects A, B, and C (we shall call these Great Expectations) of their employees and in return for doing that well, employees expect recognition/pay rise/promotion/interesting projects (insert individual's key motivator here) (we shall call these Great Rewards).
The motivation to perform the Great Expectations often depends on:
The likelihood of achieving the targets of the Great Expectations
The likelihood that effort will be perceived as working towards the Great Expectations
The value an individual attaches to achieving Great Expectations; and
In some cases, the nature and clarity of the Great Reward.
Motivation is also inspired by respectful and empathetic treatment from the team leader. Outstanding leaders who create high expectations of performance, often have these expectations fulfilled as the team members believe they are 'expected' to achieve. This is particularly effective when team leaders and team members share ideas, experiences, feelings and information in a trusting and respectful manner, creating a genuine understanding of each other. This process of sharing aids in the sensemaking between the team to form congruency of expectation.
Some team leaders are unaware of the expectations of their team members that this dialogue on the Great Expectations is required. Instead, the Great Expectations become a guessing game between team members. This leads to a misalignment due to the unexpressed and assumed expectations of both the leader and their team members evolving independently of information from the other party. This misalignment, if left to smolder, will eventually lead to mistrust and frustration within the team and potential quiet, loud or actual quitting.
All good human resources advice would be to set clear and specific written expectations, including SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timeframed) goals, however more is needed if you are leading people. Ensuring the written Great Expectations are surrounded with regular dialogue on expectations of each other is equally important. As a leader, here are five steps to ensure this dialogue occurs:
Meet Individually Regularly: Establish a regular cadence of 1:1 meetings with each direct report and require them to do the same with theirs. These individual meetings allow the raising of doubts and concerns without feeling embarrassed in front of other team members. They also allow for personal and direct two-way feedback, as this provides a chance to request further information about their expectations of you. It is important that these meetings are free from interruption. Taking that phone call or allowing others to enter the meeting space tells the other person how little they and their needs are valued and prioritised.
Be Available and Open: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable discussing their challenges and seeking clarifications. This includes providing times that you are open to being interrupted to have these discussions. Remember that it is perfectly acceptable to say: I don't know at this point in time, let me come back to you or let's allocate a block of time to discuss more thoroughly. Being available does not require immediate resolution of queries or concerns where they may be more complex.
Seek Input: Involve individual team members in the process of setting their own goals, rather than directing every item. This input and feedback will create more genuine ownership and also provide a chance for dialogue on areas where there are differences of understanding of the Great Expectations.
Regular Feedback: The 6-12 monthly performance review is inadequate to create sensemaking and sustain a shared understanding of the Great Expectations. Demonstrate that you notice and acknowledge the big and little achievements and challenges along the way. Addressing both positive and negative feedback as it occurs will be perceived as more genuine and provides a sense of value.
Reward: Through dialogue, understand the key motivating rewards for each of your team. Pay and promotion are the obvious ones that are important to most people. For others, public recognition or learning opportunities may be valued equally or more so. Be creative and tailor the Great Reward to the needs of each team member.
Often, the absence of steps 1-4 results in a focus on the Great Reward as there is no other signal to indicate the individual's effort is valued.