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Key Takeaways
Most performance issues aren’t talent gaps — they’re communication gaps: vague expectations, unsafe environments and assumed understanding that was never confirmed.
Three habits fix most of them: run new initiatives through five clarity questions, replace “any questions?” with “how do you see this working?” and hold a weekly check-in on priorities, obstacles and support needed.
Most leaders assume performance problems start with talent. When a project misses the mark or engagement drops, the instinct is to question whether the right people are in the right seats. After years of leading schools, I have learned a different lesson: most performance problems are communication problems wearing a talent costume.The people on your team may be highly capable. The real question is whether they have the support required to perform at their best. I learned this long before I became a business owner. I learned it standing in a classroom.People don’t know what’s expectedAs a teacher, I quickly discovered that capability and performance are two different things. I had students who were eager to learn but struggled to complete assignments or meet expectations. It would have been easy to label them as underperformers. Instead, I learned to ask a better question: have I made success clear enough for them to achieve it?
