In a recent conversation with a leadership team, they brought up a concern about a newly promoted manager. She was struggling to consistently follow through on a particular responsibility. According to her leader, she’d been reminded more than once—but the issue persisted.

Naturally, the question surfaced:
“Is she the right person for the role?”

Before jumping to conclusions, I asked the leader to pull up her Performance Coaching Tool—a document that outlines the highest-level Result Owned by the manager and what it looks like when she’s “killing it” in her role.

The leader read it aloud.

Then I asked, “Based on what you just read, is she doing a good job?”

The answer:
“Yes, she’s caught on.”

That’s when I pointed out something important:
The task they were frustrated about wasn’t even mentioned in the description of what success looks like.

The leader pushed back:
“Well, it’s implied.”

My response?
​Apparently not.

We could debate whether the manager should have picked up on the implication—but that’s not the point.

The point is this:
Creating clarity is the leader’s job.
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In fact, I’d argue it’s the number one job when it comes to managing direct reports. That means checking for understanding, giving feedback, and coaching—consistently.

A Quick Football Analogy

It’s football season, so let’s borrow a metaphor.

Imagine a coach hands out the playbook, reviews it a few times, runs a few practices, and then says:
“Good luck—see you sometime between next week and never.”

Ridiculous, right?

Sure, business isn’t football—but the analogy holds. If you want Super Bowl-level performance, you and your team of coaches need to:

  • Clarify expectations—big and small
  • Observe performance
  • Give feedback
  • Coach regularly
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Yes, your “veterans” may not need as much oversight as your “rookies,” but they still need clarity about the game plan and their role in it.

Back to the New Manager

Her inconsistency wasn’t necessarily a sign of unwillingness or inability. It was a signal of unclear expectations.

As leaders, we’re responsible for creating and maintaining clarity. That includes spotting the gaps—and closing them.

When performance slips, don’t start with blame.
​
Start with clarity.