Set clear expectations and give feedback

Most "people problems" are really clarity problems. Your team can't hit a target they can't see. Say plainly what good looks like, then give steady, specific feedback — the honest kind that helps someone improve, delivered with respect, not saved up for a blowup.

Do this

1. Define "good" for each role: what done-right looks like, and the two or three things that matter most.
2. Give feedback often and specifically — "you nailed X," "next time do Y" — not once a year.
3. Praise in the moment; correct privately, calmly, and about the work, never the person.
4. If something's off, address it early and kindly. Small course-corrections beat big confrontations.

Feedback that lands

Good feedback is SPECIFIC, TIMELY, and KIND:

✗ "You need to do better." (vague, useless, stings) ✓ "The Johnson job looked sharp — that's exactly the standard. One thing: text the customer when you're on the way next time."

RULES: • Praise in public, correct in private • Talk about the work, not the person's character • Sooner and smaller beats later and bigger • End on what to do next, not just what went wrong

People can't read your mind. Clear beats nice; clear AND kind beats everything.