Your team can't hit a target you haven't named
Unclear expectations hurt performance more than most leaders realize. In a 2000 review of the research, Terry Tubre and Judith Collins found that role ambiguity, not knowing exactly what's expected of you, was linked to lower job performance more strongly than any other common job stressor they looked at. If your team keeps missing the mark, the first thing to check is whether you ever named the mark.
I coach people on both sides of this. On one side, I've got business owners who are frustrated. "I've told her three times what I want." "Why does he keep doing it the wrong way?"
On the other side, I've got the people who work for business owners. And they're anxious. "I don't know what he wants." "Every time I think I've got it, the goal changes."
Same problem. Different chair.
What the research says
Psychologists call it role ambiguity. It's when someone doesn't clearly know what's expected of them, what success looks like, or how they'll be judged.
In 2000, Terry Tubre and Judith Collins pulled together decades of studies on job stress and performance. Of the common stressors they looked at, role ambiguity had the strongest link to lower performance. Stronger than role conflict, which is when two people want two different things from you.
That surprised me at first. You'd think getting pulled in two directions would be worse. But at least with conflict, you know what each person wants. With ambiguity, you're guessing. And people who are guessing play it safe, ask a lot of questions, and second-guess everything they do.
What it looks like from the other chair
One of my clients runs marketing for a growing company. For weeks, her boss kept sending follow-up questions about her ad campaigns. Why this? Why not that? Can we change this?
She was spinning. She'd asked him what he wanted, and he'd said "more leads." So she raised the budget and got more leads. And he still wasn't happy.
When she finally sat him down and asked, "What's the actual goal here?", the answer was different. He didn't just want more leads. He wanted different kinds of leads, so his two new salespeople could see everything the company sells.
Those are two completely different jobs. She'd been doing the right work for the wrong target. Once she knew the real goal, her anxiety dropped almost overnight. She knew what to do.
Her boss isn't a bad guy. He knew exactly what he meant. He just never said it.
If you're the boss
Most business owners think they've been clear. They haven't, because what's obvious to you is only obvious because it's in your head.
Before you hand something off, answer these out loud or in writing:
What's the goal behind this task? Not just "post three times a week," but "get more local people booking consults."
What does done look like? Be specific enough that two people would agree on whether it's finished.
How will we know it worked? A number, a date, a result.
What can they decide without you? This one cuts your follow-up questions in half.
Then ask them to say it back to you in their own words. If their version doesn't match yours, better to find out now than in three weeks.
This is the same idea behind handing off work so it doesn't come back wrong. Clear outcome, clear owner.
If you work for someone
Don't wait for clarity to show up on its own. Go get it.
Ask, "What would make this a win for you?" And when the follow-up questions start piling up, take that as a sign the target moved or was never clear. Ask again.
And bring your own answer when you ask. "Here's what I think the goal is, and here's my plan. Am I close?" People respond much faster to something they can react to than to a blank question.
The payoff
Clear targets don't just improve the work. They lower the temperature. Fewer "why did you do it that way?" conversations. Less second-guessing. Less of you checking up on everything.
It's also what makes accountability possible. You can't hold someone accountable for a target they never knew existed.
If you want help getting clear on what you really want from your team, and following through on it, let's talk.
Frequently asked questions
What is role ambiguity?
Role ambiguity is when an employee isn't sure what's expected of them, what success looks like, or how they'll be judged. Research links it to lower performance and higher stress.
How do I set clear expectations for employees?
Explain the goal behind the task, define what done looks like, say how you'll measure success, and spell out what they can decide on their own. Then have them repeat it back.
What should I do if my boss keeps changing what they want?
Ask what would make the project a win for them, and bring your own understanding of the goal so they can confirm or correct it. Frequent follow-up questions are often a sign the real goal hasn't been said out loud.
Sources: Tubre, T. C., & Collins, J. M. (2000). Jackson and Schuler (1985) revisited: A meta-analysis of the relationships between role ambiguity, role conflict, and job performance. Journal of Management, 26(1), 155–169.
