登录查看更多内容

When Performance Expectations Are Exceeded

The Pathwayz Group

Creating Pathwayz to Develop Leaders for the Future

发布日期: 2024年10月22日

Too often, organizations prepare a plan for when performance expectations are unmet but do not have enough time to prepare for when performance expectations are exceeded.

Many departments do not know or have clear incentives to exceed performance except for sales. So, what does a plan look like for exceeding performance expectations?

At The Pathwayz Group, one of our core values is to "Rise to Excellence." First, you must clarify performance expectations and what it means to rise above the standards. Set benchmarks, find something measurable, and set a standard. This is your opportunity to cast a vision for true excellence and what it looks like to exceed the company standards.

Then, communicate the consequences for exceeding expectations. There are intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards are the personal fulfillment or satisfaction from doing the work. Extrinsic are more external recognition and incentives. You can encourage intrinsic and extrinsic rewards in your team and while there's no exhaustive list of ways you can motivate people, I'll share a few things we have done in my team at The Pathwayz Group.

First things first, money. At The Pathwayz Group, we are a growing company. There's the barebones standard to perform well, keep clients happy, and keep the company running. We work hard to meet other standards, such as our excellent review scores, client retention, referrals, and testimonials. As the company wins, so does the team. Sometimes, after a big project or a hectic season or if a team member has exceeded expectations - they'll receive a monetary bonus. We meet weekly to define expectations, and I take serious note of the effort and impact of the team. We always discuss how monetary rewards such as our annual raise and earned bonuses are only possible because of the team's fantastic work and dedication to our mission as an organization. I'm proud of the incredible things we've accomplished together.

Another way to extrinsically reward is time and experience. Giving time off and encouraging experiences is powerful. At The Pathwayz Group, our values are to be adventurous, and we plan time for adventures. Last year, we had the opportunity to meet in the Philippines and explore a place called Food Wanderer together in our matching company T-shirts. We experienced the rich culture, food, and celebrations throughout the various regions of the beautiful country. This was possible because the team put forth a ton of effort to grow the company so we could go on a trip like this - and it was a massive celebration.

You can also reward exceeded expectations with encouragement and praise. Recognizing specific things that your team and team members do well and expressing their value goes a long way. This might be a verbal recognition in a meeting or a quick message. Some teams are more formal and have value awards for exceeding expectations.

Intrinsic rewards are critical, too. We have an open document in our Pathwayz Group network with all the positive feedback, impact statements, and encouraging stories from our work in helping teams and leaders improve. I read a comment yesterday from a learner who said they were nervous about being promoted to a leadership role. Our strategic planning workshop helped them feel more confident moving the department forward. Another comment from a different learner simply said she had been stressed and overwhelmed, and our learning journey was the first time she'd smiled in a couple of weeks. Keeping a collection of these stories and comments in a public place and calling out impact and purpose is a powerful motivator. As you can probably tell, I love the impact and opportunities that come with this company.

These are just a few of the many, many rewards I see to continue to progress at The Pathwayz Group and some of the motivators for why I started The Pathwayz Group. So, here's what I want you to do - set a standard for your team. Define what that looks like when the standard is exceeded. Prepare to reward exceeded expectations.