A frequent refrain of top managers is "we need to do a better job of holding people accountable." Accountability seems to be the mantra for organizational get-well programs these days. One can agree with this in part, and yet there is an aspect of accountability that feels like a cop-out.
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A frequent refrain of top managers is "we need to do a better job of holding people accountable." Accountability seems to be the mantra for organizational get-well programs these days. One can agree with this in part, and yet there is an aspect of accountability that feels like a cop-out.
The key to leadership is to create an environment in which people do the best they can because they want to. When employees know it is clearly in their best interest to give their maximum discretionary effort to the organization, managers don't have to crack the whip as often. Imagine working in an environment where people do the right things not because they are expected, but because it is in their best interest. In that atmosphere, holding people accountable would nearly always be positive rather than negative. How refreshing!
It is the actions, attitudes and intentions of leaders, not the rank and file, that make the environment of either reinforcement or punishment the go-to solution for individual performance issues. Let's examine eight attitudes or behaviors of leaders that can foster a culture where holding people accountable is a precursor to a feeling of celebration instead of a sentence to the dungeon.
1. Be Clear About Your Expectations
It happens every day. The boss says, "Why didn't you roll that finish on? I can see applicator marks all over that floor." Then, the worker says, "You never told me that finish had to be rolled, so I used the T-bar like we usually do." Holding people accountable when the instructions are vague is like scolding an untethered horse for wandering off the path to eat grass.
2. Be Timely
If there is an issue with performance versus stated expectations, bring the matter up immediately. If you wait for a couple days before trying to bring up the issue, it just tends to cloud and confuse the person who did not meet expectations. If a boss says, "You were rude to the homeowner last week," how is the employee supposed to even remember the incident?
3. Be Sure of Your Facts
A foreman learned this painful lesson early in his career. He visited a job site and flew off the handle at the sight of the floor's perimeter. He yelled at Tom, who was running the edger in the next room at the time. Tom said, "Well, if you had taken the time to notice, you'd see I'm fixing what Bob did yesterday. I did not make this mess." Gulp. The foreman tried to cover with, "I thought it was strange because your work is usually better than that," but the irrevocable damage had been done. If you are going to accuse someone of sloppy work, make sure it was done by that person.
4. Be Kind
Always apply the Golden Rule liberally. If you had a lapse in performance, justified or not, how would you want to get the information? Keep in mind that some people are more defensive than others, so if you like your feedback "straight from the shoulder," tone it down when dealing with a particularly sensitive individual.
5. Be Consistent
If you are a stickler for certain behaviors, make sure you apply the discipline consistently. Coming down hard on Mike for being late for work can seem unfair if you habitually let Mary waltz in 45 minutes after the start of the shift. Always avoid the appearance of playing favorites. Recognize that, as a human being, you do have differences in your attitudes toward people, but when holding people accountable, you must apply the same standards across the board. And remember, this includes family members who are employees, too.
6. Be Discreet
Embarrassing a person in public will create a black mark that will live for a long time. If there is an issue of performance, share the matter with the individual privately and in a way that upholds the dignity of the person. Remember the Golden Rule.
7. Be Gracious
Forgiving a person who has failed to deliver on expectations is sometimes a way to set up better performance in the future. Get help for individuals who need training or behavior modification. A leader needs to be mindful of his or her personal contribution to the problem, like not dealing with the issue when it is small. If the current infraction is a habitual problem or one borne out of laziness, greed or revenge, then stronger measures are needed. People cannot be allowed to continually fail to meet expectations. The corrective measures should be based on the severity and longevity of the problem. One caveat: Gracious behavior cannot be faked, so be sure you are calm and have dealt with your own emotions before speaking to the employee.
8. Be Balanced
This is incredibly important: There is nothing written on a stone tablet that says all forms of accountability must be negative. In fact, most people love it when someone holds them accountable for all the wonderful things they have done along the way. If we view accountability as both a positive and a corrective concept, then we can remove much of the stigma associated with the word. When we hear a top manager say, "We need to hold our people accountable," it means negative feedback in most cases. This is an easy thing to change by simply modifying our pattern of feedback.
Holding people accountable is a great concept if it is used in a consistent, kind and thoughtful way. Try changing the notion of accountability in your work area to incorporate the 8 "Be-Attitudes" above, and you will see a significant improvement in your culture.
