Just say it

"My team doesn't do what I want them to do"

When I hear this from a leader, I ask where they've articulated their expectations for the team. Usually they can't show me. They haven’t written it down anywhere because “they should just know” and “isn’t it obvious to everyone else?”

Followers of Visionary leaders often suffer from unclear priorities, muddy communication, and "visionary blindness" when it comes to setting expectations. You likely know your business better than anyone else - and that means that there's knowledge that you have that others do not. Unless they're mind readers, you have to get better at communicating your asks of your team members.

Taking the time to write down your expectations and set clear priorities is a valuable practice for both you and your team. If your list is 47 priorities long, you'll see that you have no actual priorities. If everything is important then nothing is. Get clear on what's most important before your overwhelm and create chaos for your team. Once your priorities are focused and written down, your team can all start rowing in the same direction and see real progress.

Not everyone has the skill set or patience to communicate well but those who make the effort are the ones who see the real progress. If this is something that you struggle with in your team, reach out today. We can help by guiding you through the process or by embedding and owning it within your organization. Let’s get focused and get moving.