The Four Foundational Components of Harnessing the Power of Your HERD!: Part 3

Last week I continued the series on the four foundational components of harnessing the power of your HERD by discussing the importance of core values. Today, in part three, I’m going to talk about the third foundational component: Expectations.

When it comes to expectations, I always like to ask companies this question:

Are you more like the New England Patriots or the Cleveland Browns?

For the Patriots, their expectation every year is to win the Super Bowl. If they don’t, then that season is considered a failure. Even getting to the Super Bowl itself is not enough for this organization. Their expectations have been set and they’ll settle for nothing less.

On the other hand, the Browns expectation might be to win four or five games (or to simply not lose all their games!). For them, the expectations are not nearly as high and they haven’t been for quite some time. If they were to make it to the playoffs, or even to a wild card game, then the season would be considered a tremendous success.

You can see how differing expectations between two organizations can make all the difference.

In your company, the expectations must be set at the senior leadership level and be pervasive throughout the organization.  Whatever or wherever your expectations are, good companies are always willing to take them further. There’s never a moment where you say “Perfect – we’ve arrived. We’re done here now.”

As success is achieved and expectations are met, good leaders should always be raising the bar and inching the carrot out in front of their team even further. Equally as important is routinely asking the question “Can my team be better?” If so, then good leaders must make the necessary changes to enhance their team and get the right people in the right seats. Remember – you have the HERD you deserve!

So, who would you rather your company be compared to: the Patriots or the Browns?

Stay tuned for next week’s blog as I’ll write about the fourth area that’s foundational for an organization’s success: Engagement.

If you want to listen to the entire podcast where I spoke about this, click here.

If you need help setting the right expectations for your company, then click here to schedule a free executive consultation. Or, if you’re just curious about how I help executives and their businesses, shoot me a note or give me a quick call. [email protected] or 727-470-0877.