Why crystal-clear communication gives you a competitive advantage
I had a conversation with a healthcare executive recently that stopped me in my tracks. She mentioned that her department was consistently missing targets, and she couldn’t understand why her previously high-performing team was suddenly struggling. As we dug deeper, the real issue emerged: her team had no clear understanding of what was actually expected of them.
This conversation reminded me of some sobering research from Gallup that should make every healthcare leader pause. Only about 45% of US employees strongly agree that they know what is expected of them at work. Let that sink in for a moment. This represents a significant drop from previous research in 2020 and 2015, which means the problem is getting worse, not better.
For healthcare leaders, this isn’t just a management inconvenience—it’s a critical issue that directly impacts patient care, staff retention, and organizational performance.
The Hidden Costs of Unclear Expectations
When we work with healthcare organizations struggling with engagement and performance issues, unclear expectations are often at the root of the problem. The ripple effects are more damaging than most leaders realize.
First, there’s the anxiety factor. Healthcare is already a high-stress environment, and when team members are uncertain about expectations, that stress compounds exponentially. I’ve seen nurses second-guessing every decision, hesitant to take initiative because they’re not sure if they’re operating within the expected parameters.
Then there’s the efficiency problem. When people don’t have clear direction, they waste time trying to figure out what they should be doing instead of actually doing it. In healthcare, where time literally saves lives, this inefficiency has real consequences.
The quality of work suffers too. Vague expectations lead to incomplete or suboptimal outcomes. I’ve witnessed entire departments missing critical quality metrics simply because team members weren’t clear on what “good” looked like in their specific roles.
Perhaps most concerning is the organizational impact. When individual team members are unclear about expectations, entire departments miss their goals and targets. In healthcare, this can translate to compromised patient outcomes, regulatory issues, and financial losses.
The Generational Challenge
What makes this issue even more pressing is the generational shift happening in healthcare workforces. Gen Z employees, who are increasingly filling crucial roles in our organizations, tend to experience much more uncertainty and lack of clarity around expectations than previous generations.
This isn’t a criticism of younger workers—it’s simply a different communication style and set of workplace expectations they bring. They’ve grown up in a world of instant feedback and constant communication, so the traditional “figure it out as you go” approach doesn’t work for them.
Astute healthcare leaders are recognizing this shift and adapting their management style accordingly. The organizations that do this well are seeing significantly better retention rates and higher employee engagement among their younger workforce.
Building a Culture of Crystal-Clear Communication
So how do we fix this? The solution lies in being intentionally crystal clear about expectations and creating systems that support ongoing clarity.
Start with two-way dialogue when setting goals and expectations. This isn’t about delivering a monologue during your team meetings. It’s about having genuine conversations where you explain not just what needs to be done, but why it matters and what success looks like.
Use clear, jargon-free language. Healthcare is notorious for acronyms and complex terminology, but when it comes to expectations, simple is better. I always tell leaders: if you can’t explain the expectation to someone outside of healthcare, it’s probably too complicated for your team too.
Repeat and reinforce key messages. In our fast-paced healthcare environment, information gets lost quickly. Important expectations need to be communicated multiple times, in multiple ways, to truly stick.
Remember that your employees are not mind readers. None of us are. Even your most experienced team members benefit from clarity about expectations, especially as roles evolve and new challenges emerge.
Making It Practical
Here’s what this looks like in practice: Instead of saying “improve patient satisfaction scores,” try “I expect each team member to introduce themselves by name and role to every patient, explain what they’re doing before any procedure, and ask if the patient has questions before leaving the room.”
Instead of “be more efficient,” try “I expect morning rounds to be completed by 10 AM, with all patient updates documented in the system within 30 minutes of each interaction.”
The difference is specificity. Vague expectations create anxiety and inconsistency. Specific expectations create confidence and better outcomes.
The Leadership Opportunity
This challenge also represents a tremendous opportunity for healthcare leaders who get it right. Organizations that excel at setting and communicating clear expectations see higher employee engagement, better retention rates, improved patient outcomes, and stronger financial performance.
In our leadership course, Be the Leader Nobody Wants to Leave, we dedicate an entire module to managing expectations because we know how critical this skill is for healthcare leaders. The leaders who master this skill don’t just see better performance—they create work environments where people feel confident, engaged, and capable of doing their best work.
Your team wants to succeed. They want to meet your expectations and contribute to excellent patient care. But they can’t hit a target they can’t see clearly. As healthcare leaders, making those targets crystal clear isn’t just good management—it’s our responsibility to our teams and our patients.
The question isn’t whether your team is capable of meeting your expectations. The question is: are your expectations clear enough for them to succeed?
Tags: Accountability, Employee Engagement, employee relations, establishing expectations, expectations, healthcare leadership, leadership excellence, leading employees, managing expectations, setting expectations
