A lot of small business managers make the fundamental mistake of assuming that their staff are perfectly clear about levels of performance.
The managers fail from day one to clearly state their expectations of the staff member's performance and the behavior that is required to meet that standard.
To be a successful manager of a small business we must share our expectations with our staff.
If people don't know what's expected of them, how can they perform to the desired standard? Often, the team does not work well because the manager has not discussed performance expectations.
The method to set expectations is very simple but it must be remembered that it is a process not an event.
This means the exercise can be repeated frequently.
Firstly meet with the team either as individuals or group and ask them what they expect from you as a manager.
You may need to prompt them and you may need to give them time to think about the question.
Make a note their expectations and consider whether not you are able to make them.
If you can't, tell them the reasons why not.
After about a week meet with your team and let them know your expectations of their performance.
Make a list and give each of them a copy.
Go through the list item by item and ask the individuals in the group if your expectations are fair and reasonable.
Look to get agreement from each of them on each item.
Think about your own behavior as a person.
If somebody asked you to do something and you thought that it wasn't fair and it wasn't reasonable, would you do it? Well, your staff are no different if they don't think your expectations are fair and reasonable the chances of getting compliance is pretty low.
Use every opportunity to discuss these mutual expectations and make sure that they can be modified at any time with the agreement of your staff members.
Make expectations the currency of your conversation with your staff on a daily basis.
When somebody reaches or exceeds your expectations tell them.
If somebody is not reaching your expectations then you have something to discuss.
Remember, you can only deal with performance issues provided there are some agreed on expectations upfront.
If you think about poor relationships between managers and their teams, you can normally trace it back to gaps between expectations and performance.
Effective small business managers clearly set out expectations for performance and get agreement that they are fair and reasonable.
They gain permission for setting out their expectations by asking their staff what they expect from their manager first.
They have good relationships with their staff which are based on mutually understood and respected expectations.