One of the biggest mistakes I see leaders make with their teams doesn’t happen six months into someone’s tenure. It happens before the person is even hired (and then again, 90 days in).
Most hiring problems don’t have to do with performance. They have to do with expectations.
Somewhere between the job description, the interview, and the first few weeks on the job, there’s a disconnect between what was promised and what actually exists.
If someone joins your firm expecting a laid-back, flexible environment and instead walks into a high-performance, high-accountability culture, they’re going to feel blindsided. On the flip side, if you sell a hard-charging, fast-paced environment and they show up to something slow and relaxed, they’re going to feel just as confused.
Once that gap exists, everything else becomes harder.
That’s why it’s crucial to be very clear on what you expect and what kind of culture you operate with even before someone is hired: in the job description and during the interviews.
Your job description is marketing. Your interview process is positioning. Your job as a leader is to be brutally honest about what it’s actually like to work at your firm. Not what sounds attractive or what you think people want to hear, but what’s actually true.
Hate remote work and expect people in the office five days a week? Say it.
Want an intense culture? Write it out.
Have very high expectations? Make it clear.
Yes, it will undoubtedly turn some people away. But that’s the point. Everyone simply cannot be the right fit for you. If you strive to appeal to them all, you risk losing out on those who are a perfect fit. The clarity and brutal honesty saves you from conflict later on.
But even when you get alignment at the hiring stage, there’s another mistake that quietly kills performance: waiting too long to set the real standard.
A lot of firms treat the first 30, 60, or even 90 days like warm-up periods. Minimal onboarding, light responsibilities, and plenty of time to “let them settle in.” Focusing too much on understanding systems, processes, tools, and people often loses momentum.
Your new hire will never be more engaged than they are on day one. That’s when they’re energized, curious, and motivated to prove themselves. Instead of channeling that energy into meaningful work, many firms slow it down, delaying responsibilities and pressure.
Then day 91 hits, and everything changes.
The workload is larger. The expectations rise. The pace accelerates. And the team member, who has now spent three months operating at a lower standard, is expected to adjust overnight. They rightfully complain because you trained them to be a part of a very different firm.
Standards aren’t what you say. They’re what you reinforce early on.
If you want high performance, you have to introduce it immediately.
Onboarding and training are crucial, of course. You have to give the new team members the support they need to ramp up effectively. But that ramp-up happens best when they’re given some work and tests. Throw them in the deep end — with a vest and a lifeguard standing by — and see how they navigate the waters.
Assign real projects early. Challenge them. Let them stretch, struggle, and grow with your support. That way, on day 91, they come out with confidence and competence at the same time.
If you wait, you’re not being kind. You’re just being unclear.
And unclear expectations always lead to underperformance.
The best teams don’t ease into standards. They establish them immediately.
They make it obvious what great looks like and what’s required to succeed.
So set your standards early on and never back down from them. That’s how you ensure that you know who you hired from day one.
