Whenever I tell people that the first thing employees need to be engaged is to know what’s expected of them at work, they usually say, “Well, of course.” It seems so obvious. But the importance of this cannot be understated. Our expectations come in both big and small ways throughout the day and over time, and they ripple out further than most realize.
Here is the hard truth: if managers do not know what is expected of their employees, then employees will create their own version of expectations. Those assumptions may be very different from what the manager or the organization intended.
When managers are clear, they give their people confidence and direction. When they are not, employees spend valuable time guessing, often moving in directions that do not support the larger goals. What looks like poor performance is often simply the result of unclear leadership.
When employees are clear about what is expected of them, their stress levels decrease and their confidence rises. They know where to focus their energy, how success will be measured, and what to prioritize when competing demands pop up. On the flip side, unclear expectations lead to wasted effort, frustration, and second-guessing.
Gallup’s research has consistently shown that clarity of expectations is the foundation of employee engagement. In fact, employees who strongly agree they know what is expected of them are more than two times as likely to be engaged at work compared with those who do not. Without clarity, even the most talented employees struggle to do their best.
Clear expectations do not just make employees feel better. They improve results. When teams have alignment, productivity goes up. Time is spent on the right things. Mistakes are reduced. Projects move forward faster. And innovation has room to breathe, because people are not bogged down in the fog of wondering if they are doing things right.
In contrast, unclear expectations create duplication of work, missed deadlines, and rework. What looks like a performance issue is often really a clarity issue.
Expectations do not stop at the employee. They flow directly to the customer. When employees know exactly what is expected, they deliver consistent service and higher quality. Customers notice when employees are confident and coordinated, and it builds trust.
But when employees are unsure, customers feel the effects. They may experience inconsistent service, delayed responses, or unmet needs. In today’s world, where customer loyalty is fragile, clarity inside the organization becomes a competitive advantage outside it.
It is easy to think about expectations as job descriptions or annual goals, but they also show up in small everyday ways:
• Do I know what the priority is this week
• Do I understand how to handle this specific situation with a client
• Has my manager explained what good looks like for this project
When those small expectations are left unspoken, employees are left to guess. When they are clarified, people feel empowered and capable.
Clarity of expectations is not a one-time checklist item. It is an ongoing conversation. It is the foundation on which engagement, performance, and customer satisfaction are built.
Employees who strongly agree they know what is expected of them are more than twice as likely to be engaged. That simple truth should push every leader to pause and ask: have I made expectations clear today, in both the big things and the small things?
Obvious does not mean easy. Taking the time to make expectations clear, both big and small, might just be the most powerful leadership move you make.