A few postings back (10/19/07) I maintained that an organization’s Engagement Culture promotes and increases its employees’ engagement. It does this by applying at least 5 practices. I promised techniques/suggestions for each of those practices.

Here’s the 3rd of the 5 ways an Engagement Culture builds greater employee engagement:

• An employee is provided clear information of her job’s, manager’s, and organization’s expectations.

First of all, this information is likely already in your "toolbox" and you don’t need it.

Second, you have so much on your workbench that seems more urgent than being sure each staff member knows what is expected.

So, third, you may not make the time to use the tools in that toolbox.

Reminder #1: the employee fully engaged in her function, responsibility and job more fully contributes good for the company.

Reminder #2: the engaged employee credits her manager with clearly communicating expectations, while the disengaged employee blames her manager for not clearly communicating.

Here are 3 suggestions that may simplify providing that "clear information of her job’s, manager’s, and organization’s expectations."

• Distinguish types of expectations. For example: performance (accuracy, productivity, etc.), conduct (attendance, punctuality, attentiveness), development (training, education, mentor relationship). Identifying categories of expectations will assist in your clear description and his clear understanding.
• Invite employee’s input. The simple question, "What are your expectations  concerning _____?" Fill that blank any number of ways: your job, this project, performance improvement, for example. This provides ample conversation opportunities to clarify more what is expected.
• Create and use an Expectations Scorecard. You and your staff member separately rate her fulfillment of expectations. (How about in separate categories?) Paying attention to expectations as an evaluation tool (informal and formal) increases attention to expectations as an every day practice.

Keep in mind: a little time making sure expectations are known and understood produces big results in employee’s engagement…performance…improvement…success.