Inspect what you expect...

As a leader, what you expect, and what you accept, is usually what you’ll get. 

 

·      Set your expectations, communicate the standards to your employees, show and train them how to do them, monitor their efforts, coach them, and recognize their efforts. 

 

Don’t accept anything less – that’s your job, and if there are low standards, you’re not doing your it effectively. It’s hard work, and you must focus on it – unfortunately, many managers are so busy that they delegate this responsibility to others or just don’t do it, and that’s how standards get ignored, forgotten, or diminished. Don’t blame employees when standards are low – if nobody’s watching or checking, the best ideas and plans will often fade away. Sort of like what your grandparents told you as a child: ‘when the cat is away, the mice will play’. But if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you will very often get it. Make time to find out if the standards you expect are being followed. When they are, thank your team in demonstrative ways. If they’re not, bring your team together and start over (basically, following the steps in italics above). If they’re not, organize and lead the effort to get them back on track. There’s nothing more important than that. Inspect what you expect today.

 

William Somerset Maugham (1874 – 1965): English writer, known for his plays, novels, and short stories.