I have written several times about the changing standards for performance in the business environment. I personally believe in setting reasonable expectations for my own, and other peoples performance, and then monitoring progress to goal completion. Having been on both sides of the equation, I have found it is better to reasonably promise and then try to over deliver.
It seems in tough economic times corporate business has changed but the way we view, and review it may have not. It has become more and more difficult to attain, let alone exceed objectives in today’s business climate. As staff numbers are reduced, “reasonable” goals and expectations seem to remain only in the eye of the beholder. Goals and objectives that you were once able to exceed given the “then” staff and budget, are now difficult to attain with the “now” staff and budget.
Both management and staff need to be aware of this new status quo. Incentives, rewards, recognition, ratings and reviews need to be prepared to reflect the fact that there are now fewer resources trying to deliver more objectives. Attaining today’s goals in this environment may in fact be more difficult than exceeding yesterday’s goals in that environment. There are always cycles in business. How we manage and treat our teams in tough times will have a significant affect on how they view and treat the business when times improve.
One other component of the “new status quo” you mention resonates with me in my marketing efforts. Most managers I’ve worked with fall into 2 categories: those who like good marketing ideas, and those who like good ideas, don’t try to predict the future, don’t over-analyze, and actually execute the plans. You, for one, always understood that marketing is not a roll of the dice. A Marketing Idea doesn’t “fail” – it just produces a result. If it misses expectations, it needs to be altered; that’s why we measure efforts. Setting the right goals is most important, as you say, and so is trusting your marketers to run smart, multiple plans executed simultaneously, and then tested.
Steve-Great blog! It is so important to respect your team during good times and bad!
…And it is wise to understand the hand you are dealt and your team–because that’s the hand and the team you are leading!