▼ CLICK BELOW TO EXPLORE ▼
A DECADE+ OF STORYTELLING POWERED BY THE BEST WRITERS ON THE PLANET

BE PART OF THE LEGACY

TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

This FINAL encore experience will be unlike any other. Because like everything we do, it's been "reimagined" from beginning to end. It's not a virtual or hybrid event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a workshop, a meeting, or a symposium. And it's not your typical run-of-the-mill everyday event crammed with stages, keynote speeches, team-building exercises, PowerPoint presentations, and all the other conventional humdrum. Because it's up close & personal by design. Where conversation trumps presentation. And where authentic connection runs deep.

How to Set Clear Expectations for Employees: A Guide

I was watching a documentary about Spelling Bee winners, where the winners’ parents could be heard saying “we expect them to win, we expect it. They put in their hard work and are excited and expect it.” This made me believe the parents began setting expectations early on in their child’s life to gain the skills to succeed. Growing up with these intentions has helped these children understand they CAN do it. Parents are just like leaders in guiding those around you to become a better you. As a leader in the workplace, we can set these expectations to achieve hard work and gain appreciation from others and ourselves.

Make it Realistic

One huge piece of advice, make sure the expectations are realistic. You wouldn’t want to feel overwhelmed or discouraged if you have a slight feeling that you are not able to accomplish a goal. For instance, you may want to set a goal that YOU can expect out of yourself but others might not be able to expect that. Set goals for your team that are challenging but also obtainable, to help build and shape their growth, development, and confidence. Try to imagine having a leader who expected you to do something you weren’t capable of. How does that make you feel? Anxious? Upset? I would feel this way also. You don’t want to set the bar too low and risk not motivating your team, but if you set it too high then you’ll end up with people who are not satisfied with what they’ve accomplished. Making expectations realistic allows for higher achievement in the long run.

Workplace support

Consider the same concept of the Spelling Bee winners, in the workplace. As a leader, would you want your team to feel excited and confident about their work? Of course! Choosing to provide support and ground rules gives employees motivation and feelings of success. Meeting these expectations in the workplace gains trust throughout the organization. The more connection and guidance they have, the more trust they build. The more trust you build, the more they’ll become their whole selves and show up with greater innovation.

Reflection

As always, communication is key to success. Being able to communicate with your team can make them feel comfortable and want to grow as a person. If someone was to talk down upon you with little to no communication, would you feel inspired to do your best? If you gave support without boundaries, would they be successful? How about the opposite… boundaries with no support? The trick is to find a balance between setting realistic expectations for yourself and your team and being overly optimistic about what you want to achieve.

Heather Younger
Heather Youngerhttps://employeefanatix.com/
Heather Younger gets it. As a best-selling author, international TEDx speaker, podcast host, facilitator, and Forbes Coaches Council coach, she has earned her reputation as “The Employee Whisperer”. Her experiences as a CEO, entrepreneur, manager, attorney, writer, coach, listener, speaker, collaborator and mother all lend themselves to a laser-focused clarity into what makes employees of organizations and companies – large and small - tick. Heather has facilitated more than 150 workshops, reaching +100 employers and their employees. Her motivation and philosophy have reached more than 20,000 attendees at her speaking engagements on large and small stages. Companies have charted their future course based on her leading more than 100 focus groups. In addition, she has helped companies see double-digit employee engagement score increases through the implementation of her laws and philosophies. She has driven results in a multitude of industries, including banking, oil & gas, construction, energy, and federal and local government. Heather brings a tenacious and inspirational outlook to issues plaguing the workforces of today. Her book “The 7 Intuitive Laws of Employee Loyalty” hit the Forbes Must-Read list and is a go-to source for HR professionals seeking insight into their organization's dynamics. Heather’s writing can also be found on her blog at EmployeFanatix, as well as articles in Forbes, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, American Express Open Forum, and more. Coupled with her Leadership with Heart podcast, weekly videos, and employer newsletters, Heather stays connected to organizations long after she leaves the stage or conference roomWhen all the emails are returned and the mic is turned off, and Heather acts as co-manager of her busy household in Aurora, Colorado with her husband, where they oversee their four children.

DO YOU HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF? If you’re ready to share your wisdom of experience, we’re ready to share it with our massive global audience – by giving you the opportunity to become a published Contributor on our award-winning Site with (your own byline). And who knows? – it may be your first step in discovering your “hidden Hemmingway”. LEARN MORE HERE


RECIPIENT OF THE 2024 "MOST COMPREHENSIVE LIFE & CULTURE MULTIMEDIA DIGEST" AWARD

WE ARE NOW FEATURED ON

EXPLORE 360° NATION

ENJOY OUR FREE EVENTS

OUR COMMUNITIES