Why Your Team Keeps Missing the Mark (And It's Not What You Think)

22 Sept

Claire stared at her laptop in frustration. The marketing campaign she'd assigned three weeks ago was nowhere near what she'd envisioned. The headlines were generic, the visuals missed the mark, and worst of all, her team lead was asking for "just a few more days" to get it right.

If you’ve ever had that sinking “This isn’t what I asked for” moment, you’re not alone. But here’s the twist: the real problem usually isn’t your team’s skills or effort. It’s the expectations you set at the start.

When expectations keep getting missed, it's tempting to assume the issue is employee capability. But in my experience, it's rarely a question of skill or even will - it's almost always a question of clarity.

Let me show you the difference

Vague expectation:

We need to improve our client communication for the Henderson project. Make sure you keep everyone in the loop and get this sorted out soon.

At first glance, this might sound reasonable. But what does the leader actually want here? If you break it down, the request is vague. There’s a call for better client communication, but nothing that defines what “better” looks like. There’s a push to keep everyone in the loop, but it’s unclear who “everyone” is, or what kind of updates they need. And there’s urgency to get this sorted out soon, but “soon” could mean tomorrow to one person and the end of the month to another.

The result?

The leader thinks they’ve set an expectation, while the team is left to interpret and possibly miss the mark.

Clear expectation:

On Henderson, I’d like a weekly update out every Friday by 3pm to the client and our team. Just cover what’s done, what’s next, and anything you need a decision on. If something urgent comes up between updates, let me know straight away so we can decide how to handle it.

What does the leader want now?

A system: updates happen weekly, every Friday by 3pm.
A defined audience: both the client and the internal team get the same information.
Clear content focus: what’s been completed, what’s next, and what needs decisions.
A simple escalation process: urgent issues are raised straight away, not left to linger.

The difference:

There’s no guesswork. The team knows exactly what to do, when to do it, who to send it to, and how to handle exceptions.

When You Get This Right

This one shift from vague to clear is the difference between a team that delivers on point the first time and one that creates more work for you.

When you start setting clear expectations.

Your team stops circling back with endless “just checking” questions.
Work comes back closer to the mark the first time.
People feel more confident because they know exactly what success looks like.
You spend less time fixing and chasing, and more time actually leading.

And here’s the key:

This isn’t micromanaging. It’s the opposite. Clear expectations don’t box people in - they give them the freedom and confidence to deliver without assuming or second-guessing.

Ready to Stop the Confusion Cycle?

Clear expectations are just one piece of the leadership puzzle. There are other skills that make leadership lighter, faster, and far more effective and that’s exactly what Leadership Essentials is designed to give you.

Each 45-minute module is practical and to the point, with frameworks you can put into action the same day. No drawn-out theory. No waiting months to see change.

The final 2025 program launches October 7th and takes you through: