How do managers turn vague requests into observable expectations?
Describe the action or output, name the owner, define acceptable quality and timing, and check that the employee has the support to deliver.
Describe the action or output, name the owner, define acceptable quality and timing, and check that the employee has the support to deliver.
Clarity before accountability
“Be more proactive” and “communicate better” describe a wish, but they leave the employee guessing about the behavior that matters. Momentum Performance Partners uses an Expectation Check within Phil Brown’s Leading Forward program to turn that wish into an agreement people can observe.
The MPP Expectation Check
- What specifically should the person do, decide, or produce?
- Who owns the work, and what authority do they have?
- When is it due, and what should happen if it is at risk?
- What would acceptable quality look like?
- Has the person explained the expectation in their own words?
- Do they have the training, time, information, and resources needed?
- How and when will progress be reviewed?
Before and after
Vague: “Keep everyone in the loop.”
Observable: “Send the project team a status update by 3 p.m. each Thursday. Include completed work, next steps, the owner of each open item, and any decision needed. Flag a delivery risk when you identify it rather than waiting for Thursday.”
This illustrative example makes the output, audience, timing, and quality visible. It does not prescribe every detail of how the employee does the work.
Use this sentence
[Owner] will [action or output] by [time], meeting [quality standard]. They can decide [authority]. If blocked, they will [escalation]. We will review [evidence] on [date].
What if the expectation was never clear?
Clarify it now and acknowledge the ambiguity. Ask what the employee understood before interpreting a missed result as unwillingness. When priorities compete, the manager must identify the tradeoff rather than leaving the employee to satisfy incompatible requests.