The Problem: Managers Who Can't Pinpoint Success
Picture a manager who watches his team roll up their sleeves and tackle daily tasks, only to find that the results are uneven. He knows what goes wrong - a missed deadline, a miscommunicated email, a lack of follow‑up - but he struggles to describe what the right behavior looks like. In a recent project I was advising a client, I asked for a detailed list of behaviors that would elevate his customer service team. When the client called back, he confessed that the department heads were stumped. The team had enough data on what was off, but could not articulate what excellence should look like. This scenario is not a rare outlier; it is a common hurdle for many leaders across industries.
The root of the problem lies in the difference between stopping undesirable habits and creating a vivid, actionable picture of what should happen instead. Stopping something is often easier to conceptualize - think “no more late emails” or “no more hand‑off delays.” However, describing the opposite - what success looks like - is a deeper exercise that requires a concrete mental model. Without that model, employees operate in a gray zone, guessing what their manager expects and settling for the minimum that gets them past the “no” marks.
When leaders can't visualize the desired outcome, they inadvertently set ambiguous expectations. Employees feel unsure, and performance suffers. Even if managers communicate that “we need a more proactive customer service approach,” the lack of detail means staff can interpret this in countless ways. They may adopt a single call‑center script, or they might simply double‑check a ticket, both of which could satisfy the vague directive but fall short of the actual behavior the manager seeks.
To break this cycle, managers must move beyond the “stop” mindset and build a clear, observable representation of excellence. Doing so transforms abstract aspirations into concrete actions that can be measured, taught, and reinforced. The next step is to create that mental picture.
Visualizing Ideal Performance: Turning Vision Into Actionable Detail
Start by asking yourself, “What does outstanding performance look like in this role?” The answer should be a detailed scene, not a set of adjectives. Rather than saying “excellent team members are friendly,” imagine a conversation where the employee greets the caller, confirms their issue, suggests a solution, and follows up with a summary email - all within a specific time frame. Describe the tone, the pace, the body language, the choice of words. The more vivid the picture, the easier it becomes for the team to replicate the behavior.
Take a concrete example: a call center agent handling returns. A high‑quality interaction might involve the agent asking, “I understand how frustrating this is - let me pull up your order and see how we can get this resolved.” They would verify the order number, confirm the item, explain the return policy, and guide the customer through each step, concluding with a recap and a thank‑you. In contrast, an average interaction might simply say, “I can’t help you with that.” The difference lies in the specificity of the actions, the empathy displayed, and the clarity of the next steps.
Once you’ve sketched out the ideal interaction, break it down into observable behaviors. What does the agent say in the first 30 seconds? What does the body language look like when the customer expresses frustration? What verbal cues do they use to transition between topics? These granular details create a checklist of micro‑behaviors that employees can observe in real time and mirror in their own work.
Document the vision in plain language, avoiding jargon. Share it with the team, and ask for feedback. This collaborative process ensures that the vision is realistic, culturally relevant, and grounded in the everyday realities of the role. It also signals that you value input, fostering buy‑in and engagement from the start.
Once the picture is crystal clear, the next task is to decide which parts of that picture matter most. Prioritization turns a comprehensive ideal into a focused set of behaviors that employees can master quickly and feel a sense of progress.
Prioritizing Key Behaviors: Building a Hierarchy of Excellence
With a detailed vision in place, evaluate each observable behavior and rank it by impact. Start with the most critical actions - those that directly influence customer satisfaction or operational efficiency. In the return example, the most vital behaviors might be accurately verifying the order and providing a clear next‑step plan. These are the actions that, if done correctly, resolve the customer’s issue and prevent churn.
After the top behaviors are identified, move to the next tier: the supportive behaviors that enhance the core actions. For the agent, this could include maintaining a calm tone, offering a personal apology, or confirming understanding with reflective statements. These behaviors don’t solve the problem on their own but amplify the quality of the primary actions, leading to higher customer loyalty and fewer escalations.
Finally, list the optional but beneficial behaviors that could be introduced as skills deepen. These might involve proactive upselling, suggesting related products, or inviting feedback. Because the team has already mastered the higher‑tier behaviors, they’re less likely to feel overwhelmed and more open to learning additional skills.
Write this hierarchy in a simple, visual format - a list, a table, or a flow chart - and circulate it among the department heads. The hierarchy serves as a living document that aligns expectations across the organization and ensures that training and evaluation focus on the right areas at the right time.
Having prioritized behaviors, the next step is to share this framework with the team, explaining the logic behind each rank and showing how it connects to the broader business objectives. Clear communication turns a theoretical list into a shared mission.
Communicating Expectations and Providing Targeted Training
Once the team understands what success looks like and which behaviors are most important, the next challenge is to deliver that information in a way that resonates. Begin with a concise briefing: “Here’s what a top‑performing interaction looks like, and here are the key steps you’ll need to master.” Keep the language action‑oriented and avoid vague praise. For instance, say, “When a customer calls, confirm the order number within the first 15 seconds” instead of “You need to confirm orders.”
Use real calls or role‑plays to illustrate the behaviors. Invite staff to listen to a recorded high‑quality interaction, then pause to identify each behavior on the hierarchy. This active listening exercise helps employees internalize the sequence of actions and recognize them in their own performance.
Training should address skill gaps directly. If the team struggles with empathetic language, run a focused workshop on tone and phrasing. If they find it hard to verify orders quickly, provide a quick‑reference guide and run a speed‑drills session. The key is to align training content with the prioritized behaviors, ensuring that every instructional moment builds toward the top of the hierarchy.
During the rollout, keep the lines of communication open. Encourage managers to hold one‑on‑one sessions, where they ask, “What part of the process feels unclear?” and adjust the guidance accordingly. When employees feel heard, they’re more likely to internalize expectations and take ownership of their development.
Once expectations are communicated and training is underway, the cycle of improvement begins. Employees receive concrete feedback that ties back to the behaviors they’ve been trained on, creating a closed loop of learning and performance enhancement.
Continuous Feedback and Layered Skill Development
Performance is not a one‑off event but an ongoing journey. That means feedback must be frequent, specific, and behavior‑focused. Instead of waiting for the annual review, capture moments when a team member demonstrates a high‑impact behavior - such as resolving a difficult ticket in under two minutes - and share that praise in real time. A simple “Great job stepping in before the escalated call took place” reinforces the exact action they did well.
Equally important is addressing lapses as soon as they occur. When an agent misses a verification step, a manager should intervene immediately: “Notice that the order number wasn’t confirmed - here’s how we can avoid that.” This timely correction prevents the behavior from becoming a habit and provides a learning moment.
As the team masters the top tier of behaviors, begin to weave in the next set from the hierarchy. Gradually increase the complexity of the expectations, giving employees a sense of progression and continued challenge. When a new behavior is introduced, pair it with a short training session and then reinforce it with targeted feedback.
Over time, this layered approach builds a high‑performing culture. Employees recognize that each new skill is not a leap but a step built on the foundation of what they already do well. The sense of mastery fosters confidence, which in turn fuels further growth.
By consistently modeling the behaviors you expect, acknowledging successes, and correcting missteps in real time, you create a feedback loop that keeps the team aligned with the vision you set. The result is a workforce that can reliably deliver the excellence you outlined in the first place.
Della Menechella is a speaker, author, and trainer who inspires people to achieve greater success from the inside out. She is a contributing author to Thriving in the Midst of Change and the author of the videotape The Twelve Commandments of Goal Setting. She can be reached at della@dellamenechella.com. Subscribe to the free Peak Performance Pointers e‑zine - send a blank email to subscribe@dellamenechella.com.
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