Developing positive attitudes based on clearly defined expectations

When I was writing my book, I met with Mike Erwin, President of Tailored Label Products; a company recognized with numerous awards for business management, quality, and community involvement. Mike shared many of the techniques he uses to motivate his employees to achieve goals. An important component of motivation is clearly articulated expectations of the employees, as well as those of leaders. Mike made lists of expectations for each group and shared his lists with me for inclusion in the book. Since they were not included in the book, I thought I would share them here as there are good lessons to be learned from them.

Expectations of Employees:
*Be loyal to vision
*Be dependable and reliable
*Be responsible for his/her actions
*Be trustworthy and honest
*Be alert & safety concious when performing work
*Be flexible, open to change & willing to consider new ideas
*Participate in team meetings
*Offer & provide direction to coworkers when needed
*Be trained & knowledgeable about your job
*Have apositive attitude
*Be a good decision maker
*Be a team player
*Give positive & negative feedback
*Be a good communicator & listener
*Have a high self esteem
*Be willing to take direction
*Help make the work environment enjoyable
*Be dedicated and willing to take an extra step to help
*Be willing to train coworkers o& change process
*Try to be reasonable & get along with people
*Control your temper
*Work well under pressure
*Know when to ask for help
*Be objective & look at things with an open mind
*Work smart

Expectation of Leaders:
*Be willing to set the example
*Support our vision
*Accept responsibility & accountability
*Work well under pressure
*Be patient, but willing to take action when necesary
*Be secure and confident in your own ability
*Get information before you act
*Give positive & negative feedback
*Respond to employees' suggestions and concerns
*Promote union & management cooperation
*Be decisive
*Have a positive attitude
*Be fair & consistent
*Be a good coach
*Be accessible
*Be willing to listen
*Be a good motivator
*Control your temper
*Be honest & trustworthy
*Have a sense of humor
*Be organized
*Be a good communicator
*Be respected
*Follow up on what you say
*Be willing to change
*Be open minded
*Be enthusiastic
*Be a good team player