Truth #6: Your Team Can't Hit a Target They Can't See. Show Them What Good Looks Like.
The Bottom Line: You cannot expect people to hit a target they cannot see, but you can make expectations clear, feedback regular, and growth visible.
Introduction
The annual review is two years overdue. A housing specialist is surprised to learn that her supervisor has been unhappy with her files for months. Your strongest performer asks what comes next, and there is no real answer. If any of that sounds familiar, you are not alone. Accountability is the foundation of a strong team, yet it is one of the most overlooked areas of leadership in many public housing agencies. When expectations are unclear or feedback is rare, people are left to guess what success looks like. The good news is that accountability is not about being harder on people. It is about being clear with them and showing them a future worth working toward.
What are the risks?
When accountability is left to chance, the cost shows up in three places.
First, everyone works to their own standard. Without a shared definition of good work, two specialists can handle the same file in two different ways. Quality and timeliness vary from person to person, and the gaps show up in audits and resident complaints.
Second, small problems grow quietly. When feedback comes once a year, or not at all, issues go unaddressed until they turn into findings. By the time correction arrives, it feels like an ambush, not a coaching moment, and trust takes the hit.
Third, your best people stall out. Strong performers who see no path forward stop stretching, or they take their skills somewhere else. Frustration turns into disengagement, and the people you most want to keep become the hardest to hold.
How can I be proactive?
You do not need a new HR system. You need a simple rhythm you run every year: clear expectations, regular check-ins, a predictable review, and a plan for growth.
Write down what good looks like. For each role, name three to five outcomes that matter most, such as recertifications completed on time, files that pass quality control review, and inspection follow-ups closed within required timelines. Share them in writing, talk them through, and update them when the role changes. Every review that follows builds on this list.
Make the formal review predictable. Hold reviews on a set schedule, use the same simple form across the agency, and tie every rating to the written expectations. Nothing in a formal review should be news to the employee. Its job is to summarize a year of conversations, not to replace them.
Turn feedback into a monthly habit. A short one-on-one at least once a month keeps small issues small, and Gallup research shows that brief conversations held regularly can have more impact than longer, occasional ones. Be specific and timely. Using the Center for Creative Leadership's Situation-Behavior-Impact model, describe the situation and the behavior, explain its impact, and agree on the next step. Then make it a two-way conversation by asking what is getting in the way and what support your staff member needs from you.
Draw the path forward. Map the steps from entry-level roles to senior and supervisory positions, and list the skills, experience, or certifications each step requires. Pair every review with one or two development goals for the year ahead, and lean on low-cost training and peer learning when budgets are tight. When staff can see a future in the agency, they are more likely to stay and grow into it.
Questions for reflection
Do you have a formal process in place for conducting performance reviews across your organization?
How consistently is feedback given to employees, and does it support their growth and development?
This post was inspired by "12 Truths for Executive Directors," an eBook written by Dakota Vaughn Koontz and Lindsey Reames. Their thoughtful, compassionate work laid the foundation for everything shared here. We are deeply grateful for their insight and for the heart they poured into supporting those who lead.
