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How "What Does Good Look Like?" Can Help Improve Business Performance

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Why business performance often falls short

Many businesses do not struggle because people do not care. They struggle because expectations are unclear. Leaders want better results, but teams are often left to interpret what “better” actually means in day-to-day work.


Why clarity matters more than criticism

That is where What Does Good Look Like? can make a real difference.

The book helps leaders and managers turn vague ambitions into clear, practical standards. Instead of reacting when things go wrong, it encourages a more useful approach: define what good looks like in advance, communicate it clearly, and help people work towards it consistently.


How the book improves performance

This matters because business performance is shaped by everyday actions. If your team does not know what good planning, good communication, good handovers, or good problem-solving look like, performance will always be inconsistent. You may get effort, but not alignment.

Reading What Does Good Look Like? helps you step back and ask better questions:

  • What do we want to see more of?
  • What should good performance look like here?
  • What should our customers, colleagues, and managers experience?
  • Have we made those expectations clear enough?

The impact on leadership and teams

When leaders answer these questions well, teams are more confident, more accountable, and more capable of delivering strong results.

The book is especially useful because it shifts the focus away from blame. Telling people off after poor results rarely creates lasting improvement. In most cases, it creates frustration, defensiveness, or confusion. Clear expectations, on the other hand, give people something practical to aim for.


Practical business benefits

This approach can improve business performance in several ways:

  • Better consistency in how work is done
  • Fewer misunderstandings and avoidable mistakes
  • Stronger ownership and accountability
  • Better teamwork across departments
  • Improved customer experience
  • More reliable delivery of business goals

Final thought

In simple terms, the book helps leaders communicate more effectively. And when communication improves, performance usually follows.

If you want better results from your business, start by making sure your team understands what good actually looks like. That is a far stronger foundation than waiting for problems and reacting to them afterwards.

Get your copy from Amazon today

About the author:

Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through better business processes and embracing Kaizen.

Giles is also the author of Effective Root Cause Analysis and 'What Does Good Look Like?'.

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