As a leader, executing on your priorities is vital to both running the business and everyone’s success. Yet, far too often those you lead take matters into their own hands and chaos reigns.
You wonder who’s to blame for the misunderstanding. The answer isn’t complicated, it’s you.
When you assume the people on your team know your priorities you make a fool out of you and them.
Without clear direction from you, your team has no alternative other than to swap their priorities for yours. And that’s exactly what they do.
It isn’t too late to get everyone crystal clear on your priorities and here’s how:
1. Don’t Make Them Data Mine
Be unambiguous about what takes precedence and what doesn’t. It helps your team innately grasp what you want done, and prevents them from substituting their thinking for yours.
2. Address What’s Non-Negotiable First
At first, share only your top two or three non-negotiable priorities. This builds your team’s confidence to make decisions without hesitation or fear. Over time you can share more of what is important to you in the moment.
3. Let Them Mind the Gap
Create a culture of respect and openness, so people don’t feel uncomfortable when they ask you to clarify your priorities or tell you when you’re out of sync with them. Choose which suggestions you’ll act on, tell them what you’re doing and follow through on it. This eases the pressure you feel to accommodate ideas that don’t fit within your priorities.
4. Delivering on Tasks Isn’t Enough
Deliver outcomes that align with your priorities every day. Any lack of consistency creates uncertainty. This opens the door for those on your team to jump in and do what they believe is right. Hold yourself accountable and others won’t undermine you.
5. Call Yourself Out First
You will make wrong choices. When this happens, be the first one to say it and do it fast. This short-circuits peoples’ resistance and mitigates their urge to stop you from doing something they think isn’t in your best interest.
Your priorities reinforce the values you lead with. No doubt your success and theirs depends on understanding what you expect and value in the context of work.