While not a style that any worthy leader would claim as their own, with the notable exception of Colonel Henry Blake of the MASH 4077th, “hinting and hoping” is an all too prevalent communication “tactic” in our workplaces. Hinting and hoping is the unintended practice of providing exceedingly vague expectations and then wishing for positive outcomes. Hinting and hoping with new hires sets the stage for random performance from the outset of the relationship. Instead, take a page from my former QA mentor, whose mantra was “Look Dwyer, if it isn’t written down, it just doesn’t exist!” In your role as hiring manager or coach to hiring managers, make sure expectations and job success factors are thoroughly communicated and appear in “written” form for future reference. Starting strong leads to rewarding relationships!
Thanks for reading and be your best self today! Tad