As a leader, do you ever wonder, “Did they hear what I asked to be done?” Or have you thought that something was handled, and it wasn’t—yet, you thought you were clear in articulating your expectations? If you’re nodding your head in amusement, read on…

So, what’s a leader to do? By following these five simple steps, leaders at all levels can help their teams to more personally connect to work tasks and the outcomes of their efforts.

1. Be clear about what you expect. As leaders, we often assume people think and act like we do—and that they share our same values. It’s up to you as a leader to clearly articulate and demonstrate what you expect. Build standards for behavior that meet your expectations.

2. Share your goals and objectives. If you know you want to grow your business by 5 percent this year, tell your team. Allow them to be a part of helping to achieve that goal. Update them on progress and continually get their feedback.

3. Share the numbers and put them into context. Too often, leaders set expectations without the tactics or measurements to ensure success. Or, they have numbers, but only share them when the outcome is bad or off target. It’s important to develop measures to support the goals, and then to share the results regularly. Putting the numbers into context is extremely important.

For example, if you know that your unit must generate a certain daily volume to cover costs, share that information with your team. Help each person to see what they can do each day to make the goal a reality. Is it making room in the schedule for one more patient? Is it staying an extra few minutes to accommodate that last request from a customer?

If associates see how their actions directly affect the overall performance of the unit, they’ll feel a personal connection between their individual actions and the overall outcome.

4. Provide training. Training should be an everyday event. Set a personal daily goal to teach an associate something new and to learn something new yourself. Use team meetings as a way to review what went right or wrong that day. Allow the team to decide how to build upon the right things, and to change or better manage the things that didn’t go as planned.

5. Reward the behavior. Take advantage of opportunities to applaud people. Hearing it from you in a way that they value means so much. Make it your business to understand how each member of your team likes to be recognized. Is it with a personal note? Do they prefer group or private recognition? Everyone has different needs. Understand them and act upon them.

Try it yourself: Carry out these five simple steps each day. It just might make the difference between wondering if anyone is listening and really achieving the goals together!

Catherine Baumgardner is an associate with Corporate Health Group, a national healthcare consulting firm, and is based in Pennsylvania. For additional information, please call 1-888-334-2500 or contact us via the Web.

To print this page select the print button from your browser window or click here.