Are your expectations clear?

My January best practice tip builds on all the hard work you put into creating your Year End Strategic Plan. Didn’t get that done? No problem! There is still time to review what worked and didn’t work for your business last year and to create a custom blueprint for 2018. Strategic plans are living documents, and at their most effective, they change, evolve and grow with your business as the year progresses. Strategic Plans are not chains holding you down but wings to launch your business as high as you want to go.

What else should be on your strategic To-Do list for the beginning of the year? Employee manuals. Do you have one? Is it updated. Every business, regardless of the number of employees, should have an employee manual and should budget to update it yearly. These manuals are not just a list of rules and regulations. They are an opportunity to create and record the business culture you truly desire. Updating your manual is a fantastic opportunity to revisit your mission and value statements and share them with your staff. And most important, they are an opportunity for you, as the CEO of your company, to establish your performance and office expectations.

What are your expectations? My January tip is to re-visit your stated expectations and reflect on whether they are still relevant to your business and culture. After you truly reflect on their relevance, ask yourself if these expectations are clear and understood by all your staff. Have you shared them—clearly and directly—so everyone is on the same page? I always observe that if you find yourself saying, “They should already know that,” the problem is your message, not your employees. Even good employees are not mind readers. Make your expectations clear and put them in writing.

Maybe you aren’t sure if your expectations are clear and well-understood, and you need an objective outside perspective. Structure for Success is here to assist! We specialize in bringing you that outside perspective. We take a look at your employees, your processes, and your culture to make sure they are in sync with your goals and expectations.

Don’t let fear paralyze you. Change can be good. Now is the time to set the pattern of excellence for the New Year.

Contact Wendy at Structure for Success, LLC, to schedule a time to discuss your how to establish your goals and aspirations for 2018, and how to translate them into actionable business expectations for your employees.