Ian’s firm expectations create a winning formula for everyone.
Set Expectations
Ian is a great manager I have been fortunate enough to work with for over a decade, and recently he reminded me why he has been so successful for so long.
“Set expectations”, he said. “First day, I tell ‘em what they need to do and how they need to think.”
“Perfect”, I thought. For me this starts even before the first day, before everyone agrees to start down that journey. Why on-board someone who doesn’t buy into your expectations around performance, behaviour and fitting in with your culture? Why surprise them? Why have them surprise you? Ian has good intuitions when it comes to people and his method works for him, so because day one works for him and his team, let’s go with it.
Ian has a terrific team culture. Everyone pitches in, has a voice, and respects each other. But for Ian it’s not about having clones. Everyone is an individual with their own ideas, skills, quirks and preferences. They’re all different, but they all share values and beliefs in how they should work together and get on together. In my experiences with them, they all have a good sense of humour too.
So, what exactly does he say? “I tell ‘em there’s no standing around waiting for someone to do something for you, or saying something’s not your job. If you’ve done your bit, go and give someone else a hand with theirs. They’ll do the same for you. That way we don’t waste any time.”
He went on. “And that’s how we stay in business. My biggest responsibility here is that all my people can know their livelihood is safe. If we’re efficient, safe, courteous and all that type of thing, we can make a small profit, and that’s what keeps it all going. So we can’t afford to have people here who don’t pitch in, it’s as simple as that.”
Ian versus the industry
Ian’s industry is pretty cut-throat, with fickle customers, high costs and low employee stability. It’s a tough gig. A lot of his competitors seem to be always advertising, looking for the last 10% to complete their teams but apparently never quite finding them. So, being a bit desperate, what happens? Inevitably they accept lower-calibre people, because they feel they have no choice, and then they don’t set expectations beyond the basics, are soft on them, again because they feel they have no choice. If they upset them, they might leave, and then it’s back to square one. Standards are low, culture is fractured, and the good people and customers decide they can do better.
“I don’t put up with any of that malarky”, Ian said. “We’ve got a stable crew, but when I need to find someone there’s people that I won’t hire because of where they’ve worked before, those cultures are all wrong. Some of them are selfish, some are grubs, some think the world owes them a living. I take my time and make sure they’ll fit. We can train them if they need it, but I’m not compromising on their attitude. It only causes problems.”
I remember the last time Ian had a cultural problem, maybe 5 years ago. It came from only two guys but upset everyone else one way or another. One wanted to feel more important, more respected, a bit superior to the others, but didn’t have the performance, attitude or aptitude and ended up just being a noisy trouble-maker that everyone else disliked. The other started as a reasonable guy but over time descended into making mountains out of molehills, even where there were no molehills to start with. Both had external influences who cared for them but were unhelpful, and our best-guess is that’s where the problems came from. As a group we did a cultural reset, with both settling a little before deciding they’d be happier elsewhere – great decisions by them and for them. Why stay if they’re unhappy?
Since then, things have been very settled. A lot of people there are the same people I met over a decade ago, seeing their careers and skills grow. Everyone feels respected, empowered, trusted and appreciated. Everyone has a voice, and whenever I visit, they are open about everything that matters to them.
Why does this “strict” method work? Much has been written about the human, and I would argue mammalian, need to feel stability and coherence in perception just to function. We need a stable world to orient ourselves. We need to know who’s who, how things are, and then what we can do to protect our enhance our safety and fulfilment. It’s the basis for empowerment – not just a free reign, but a free reign within known boundaries.
By setting expectations from the start, Ian creates a stable platform for his employees to orient themselves from. By enforcing those boundaries, as positive or negative consequences, he makes them real and predictable. They also know their culture, defined by common practice rather than any written policy, is as stable as those more tangible expectations. That stability is consistent, open and fair.
This goes beyond safety and clarity. By empowering his team to self-direct in their work tasks, use their initiative, and express themselves openly, Ian’s team experience genuine empowerment every day. They feel trust, respect, ownership and a real sense of team. Not individuals, looking to compete for status in petty ways, but a group who are as proud and supportive of each other as they like to feel in themselves.
Naturally rewards for motivation and fulfilment
So apart, from job security and fairness, what’s the reward? Surely if there’s a stick, there must be a carrot to stop things being draconian, coercive and just plain out-of-step with today’s social expectations? Of course, Ian notices and thanks his people for their efforts, there are occasional group functions and so on, but that’s not the big reward. Rather, the rewards Ian allows are much more meaningful. For example:
- By providing clear boundaries and then training, supporting and enabling people to self-direct within them, Ian has created fulfilment through empowerment.
- By allowing people to perform their tasks in their own ways, he has optimised (dopamine-rich) task rewards.
- By creating a trusting, respectful environment where people are heard and valued, Ian has supported personal self-esteem, status and significance (identity). (I’ve never seen his door closed, or anyone afraid to walk through it.)
- By ensuring a culture of cooperation and respect, Ian has protected the need for people to manage and feel safe in their interpersonal connections. Note – Ian has not forced anyone to be friends or hang out together, just to be professional colleagues – this is something a lot of well-intentioned employers get wrong.
The result?
- Ian’s team’s customer ratings are consistently 99.6% and above, at times 100%, winning numerous awards along the way, with contracts renewed time and again.
- Ian’s team openly tell him what he needs to know to help them and the business.
- Ian has very low turnover in his team, meaning he has high skill and knowledge levels and no recruitment problem.
- Ian has very low absenteeism, as the workplace experience is inherently rewarding, so why avoid it?
- Ian has enough challenge in his work to keep himself focused and motivated, but seems to never be distressed. He is healthy, sleeps well, and is respected and liked in his community.
Summary
My conversation with Ian reinforced for me that people need to know how things are, and how to act so they can protect themselves and flourish in any environment, physical and social. Setting clear expectations, and then reinforcing them in practice, is essential for empowerment, along with personal and business success. It is also the platform for a sustainable ideal culture, relationships and wellbeing.
Ready to transform your team with Ian’s proven approach?
Contact 21 Triangles today for expert guidance and NeuroSmart assessments that will help you set clear expectations, cultivate a high-performing culture, and achieve lasting success.
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