Most Performance Problems Are Expectation Problems

Most performance conversations start too late.

By the time a leader says, "We need to talk…" there’s usually a long trail of unspoken assumptions behind it. The project that was "obviously" urgent. The standard that was "clear" in their head. The definition of "done" that everyone was supposed to just know.

From the leader’s side, it looks like a performance problem. From the employee’s side, they’re often unaware there is a problem at all.

Most of the time, it's an expectation problem.

When I work closely with other leaders, I hear some version of this:
"They are not operating at the level I expect."
"They keep missing details."
"They do not show enough urgency."
"They are not thinking ahead."

So I ask a few simple questions:
"When did you tell them that?"
"What specific examples did you use?"
"What does ‘good enough’ look like to you in that situation and have you told them that?"

There is usually a pause. Then sometimes they say they’ve been too busy to have the conversation. Often, they assume the missed expectation is so obvious it shouldn't need a conversation.

They can see the whole picture. They know the priorities, the history, the tradeoffs being made. But they don’t realize, the other person is operating inside a much smaller slice of information.

If you don’t make the expectation visible, people will always default to their own standards.

The fix here is not another performance tool. It’s a few simple habits that most managers have never been trained to use.

First, separate the person from the work. "I value you on this team. And I need to be clearer about what good looks like for this specific project."

Second, explain the expectation in plain language. "Here is what ‘good’ looks like for this project. Here is what ‘great’ looks like. Here is what is not acceptable."

Third, connect it to impact. "This level of detail matters because of how our work is used downstream. When it’s off, here is what happens."

When people understand the target and the why behind it, most will move toward it. If they understand and still don't move? Then you have a performance issue. Until then, you have an expectation issue.

For senior leaders, it’s also a scaling problem.

If your managers aren't equipped to set clear expectations, your company culture fills with small misalignments. Work gets redone. Deadlines slip. Accountability starts to mean “who we blame at the end” instead of “what we agreed to at the start.”

You can’t coach performance you never defined. 

This week, look at where you're frustrated. Have you actually named what ‘good‘ looks like or are you just waiting for them to guess? That’s where the real alignment begins.