Stop leaving your team in the dark! Learn how to set clear expectations & goals, every time.

Hey Team 👋🏼

One of the fastest ways to earn trust as a new or existing manager is to give clarity.

People want to know what is expected of them and how success will be measured. Ambiguity breeds stress and disengagement. Clarity creates focus.

When expectations are vague, people:

• Second-guess what “good” looks like.
• Spread energy across the wrong priorities.
• Lose confidence when feedback doesn’t match their assumptions.

When expectations are clear, people:

• Move faster with confidence.
• Focus on the work that matters most.
• Trust that they’re being measured fairly.

What helps:

1. Be specific, not vague → Avoid “do your best”. Define measurable outcomes and timelines.
2. Link goals to purpose → Show how their work contributes to the bigger picture. People work harder when they see meaning.
3. Set priorities → Not everything is equally important. Clarify what comes first.
4. Agree, don’t just tell → Expectations land better when discussed and agreed, not dictated.
5. Review and adjust → Circumstances change. Revisit goals to keep them relevant.

Tools that support:

• Role scorecards → One-page summaries of key responsibilities, priorities and measures of success.
• Team OKRs → Simple objectives that align personal goals to company direction.
• Expectation checklists → Quick guides to what “good” looks like in recurring tasks.

When you lead this way, three things happen:

1. The team knows what matters most.
2. Work moves faster with fewer surprises.
3. Trust builds because expectations are fair and transparent.

One small thing to try this week: In your next 1:1, ask: “What part of your role feels unclear right now?” Then work together to remove the ambiguity.

🚩 Red Flags Your Team Lacks Clarity:

1. People regularly ask: “What’s the priority?”
2. Work comes back wide of the mark because “success” wasn’t defined.
3. Deadlines are missed due to hidden assumptions.
4. The same tasks are done differently across the team.
5. Feedback often starts with: “That’s not what I was looking for…”
6. Team members feel busy but can’t explain how their work links to bigger goals.

If two or more of these sound familiar, clarity is missing and it’s on you to fix it.

If this landed for you, why not send it to someone else who needs it too. Or just hit reply and let me know - I always read every note that comes back.

Back in your inbox next week with another note worth keeping. 🫶🏼

L x