Behaviour is more important to manage than performance.

Or rather, behaviour is a core component of performance.

Yet far too often, leaders let poor behaviour go unchecked because someone is considered a ‘good operator’.

Nothing kills culture quicker than poor behaviour, particularly if it is excused and not addressed.

It doesn’t matter if that person is your star salesperson or machinery operator; if they are allowed to behave poorly the message that sends to the rest of the team is that the behaviour is acceptable.

It is particularly important to be aware of this at times of stress, pressure, challenge and change.

Yes, you absolutely have to be empathetic and understanding that your people are doing it tough, but you also have to hold them and yourself accountable for their behaviour.

The best way to do that is to first make your expectations clear.

As a team, discuss your shared expectations for performance and behaviour as you navigate the change.

Don’t leave things unsaid.

Don’t assume people will ‘just get on with it’.

Address the elephant in the room and put it all on the table.

You need to make it very clear that despite the pressure, everyone still needs to take personal responsibility for how they show up.

This requires candid conversations.

It’s not the time to be vague and assume ‘they should know’ what good behaviour looks like.

This is when you need to be absolutely clear and direct about what the expectations are, and then hold people to account for upholding them.

Ideally, you create these expectations together as a team.

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*Get in touch to learn more about how to create shared expectations for behaviour with your team.

I love supporting leaders to have challenging conversations that make the ‘people part’ of work life easier, improve culture, and get results.

The above post is an excerpt from my new book ‘Steer Through the Storm: How to Communicate and Lead Courageously Through Change’ due out late June 2023.