Setting Goals and Expectations

A hybrid team’s success depends on clarity in roles and well-articulated goals and expectations, both for the department/unit and for each employee.  

  • Goals are focused on results and outcomes.  
  • Individual team member goals align with department/unit level goals.  
  • Roles and responsibilities are clear and understood by all.   
  • Expectations align with values and norms.   
  • Goals are clear and consistent. If plans change too frequently or unpredictably, this can cause confusion, lead to loss of productivity, and impact team morale.  
  • Goals are visible and progress is measured regularly. 
    Manager Responsibilities   Employee Responsibilities 
    • Ensure goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).  
    • Set clear expectations for quality and success.  
    • Measure based on outcomes and results instead of traditional visual cues of presence in office or computer screens.  
    • Assess progress and goals periodically.  
    • Help the team see the relevance and ‘why’ of the goals.  
    • Establish tools and systems to help ongoing assessment of progress. 
    • Ensure goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).  
    • Ask questions to ensure you understand manager’s expectations and know what success would look like.  
    • Get clarity on alignment and relevance of goals.  
    • Meet goals and expectations on time. 
    • Use mutually agreed upon tools and systems to provide regular updates.   
    • Take initiative for continuous improvement and seek excellence.   

     “A manager’s job is to provide ‘supportive autonomy’ that’s appropriate to the person’s level of capability.” – Linda Hill, coauthor of Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader. 

    The term “supportive autonomy” is the key in a hybrid team. Managers must balance support and supervision with employees’ capabilities as well as trust them to work independently.  

    In the article, “Making Sure Your Employees Succeed,” Amy Gallo lists the following do’s and don’ts that might be helpful to consider as you support your employees to be successful.  

    Do: 

    • Connect individuals’ goals to broader organization objectives 
    • Show employees that you are a partner in achieving their goals 
    • Learn about and incorporate employees’ personal interests into their professional goals 

    Don’t: 

    • Allow employees to set goals alone 
    • Take a hands-off approach to high performers — they need input and feedback to meet their goals as well 
    • Ignore failures — be sure people have the opportunity to learn when they don’t achieve goals 

    Download these tips. 

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