The #1 killer of productivity is unclear expectations. How can you make yours clear?
Some managers do a good job of stating expectations from the start the way Joe Hakan did at The Dean Dome and at The Siena Hotel. But many times, they don’t follow up, coach, reinforce or recognize. So people forget. It’s not that they weren’t listening. It’s just that there is so much to remember. So many distractions and demands.
That’s why tips #6-10 in our Quick List, 10 Ways to Make Expectations Clear are so important. There is a good example of #9 (Use visual reminders like posters, signs, checklists, daily reports, buttons, charts) in the Acura service department at Performance Auto in Chapel Hill. Right behind the counter where each customer goes to drop off/pick up and pay for service, is a huge sign on the wall that reads:
The Performance Commitment
To provide our customers with personal attention
to their automotive needs with a commitment to quality
as judged by our customers
and not by ourselves.
“The Performance Commitment” is admirable. What I like most about it is the way they’ve gone public with it. The message is not just conveyed in the training room or in staff meetings or on a sign in the back or in messages from the boss – all of which would be great. By putting it right out in front of the customer, they stake themselves out. Very reinforcing – for the customer and those who provide them with such excellent service.
Below are additional resources to help you make expectations clear so that you get BETTER Results:
copyright 2010 – Business Class Inc
