The last few blog entries have been linked to silent leadership in some way shape or form. It all comes down to one root –
accountability.
The very nature of not confronting or addressing a situation can be
perceived as accepting, condoning or in some cases promoting the very
behaviors we are working to squelch.
So, what is accountability? In a generic
Google search, it is, by definition,
“responsibility to someone or for some activity”
according to Princeton.edu. Sounds simple enough. We have a definition
of what we are looking at. We can easily identify the behaviors that go
against the policy or not in line with some expectation. What makes this
subject so hard to address then? I have found that there are two main
things: clear
ownership and confrontation (or perhaps confrontation based on clear ownership).
To make sure we do not set ourselves up for an issue we must use the
360 communication style to make sure that messages are conveyed, and understood. During an assignment we must make sure that we specify our expectations.
Basic
communication involves relaying the message, the recipient receiving
the message and providing feedback to the sender and clarification from
the sender or acknowledgement/affirmation. Also, it is important
that we set up measurable such as a due date and person responsible.
“Next week” is vague and should not be used in many cases. Vague demands
can lead to a lingering project or deadline. “End of business on
07/24/13″ sets a much firmer expectation as to when the material or
assignment is due.
Next we must also have the ability to confront the respective parties if the assignment is not completed on the due date. It is
imperative that we
follow up and
follow through.
The severity should be based on the individuals performances. Now that
may should like I am backing off – on the contrary, I am setting up a
longer term plan. If the individual is normally a star performer, see
what the delay is/was. Did the person come to you letting you know there
were issues? Did the individual have a legitimate reason? What is the
frequency of the person’s failures to commit? In any case – action
should be taken and the severity based on answers from the previous
questions. At a minimum keep a record for further review if continued
performance failures occur. However, if the person continues to struggle
with commitments, take a step back and let the employee know where they
stand. Maybe it is time to create a PIP (
performance improvement plan). It is quite possible that the very mention of a PIP will create a turn around in the employee.
So, we have not discussed
feedback whether it is a
communication
cycle on assignment setting, or review for performance. Let us take a
second to examine the sense of ownership and confrontation. Take a step
back and look at your group. It is important to consider the global view
(the entire organization) but realize that your circle of influence and
control changes as layers or other groups of the organization are
added. Do the rest of your reports have similar attributes? Have you
taken a second, as a leader, to question your effectiveness in setting
expectations? Is it time for a group meeting, or perhaps a self
evaluation
(or 360 feedback)
session? I have always believed with any of my reports that fail,
[they] do so in part by my inability to reach them or convey the message
in a functional way to his or her
learning style.
Granted, there are the employees that just cannot be reached and should
exited from the group or organization accordingly. I have also seen
some success in a workshop addressing communication and
team building exercises where deadlines are a topic.
So far we have addressed the direct forms of accountability where
deadlines are presented. Lastly, I want to discuss the non deadline
related topics. These topics are very general but I am sure you can find
relevance if you switch some topics around for your relevance. Many
forms of accountability and silent leadership happen with day-to-day
activities. Maybe an employee is not supposed to chew gum on the shop
floor. Perhaps employees are clocking in late or telling inappropriate
jokes. Maybe employees are picking their fantasy sports teams on company
time… use your imagination. What do you do? If you go along with the
said offense, then you are aiding in the situation. If you ignore the
situation then you are aiding. Remember, the lack of confrontation is a
key component in accountability. I challenge you to take the bull by the
horns and deal with whatever issues you see now, in a real time
fashion. If you wait too long it becomes an accepted practice and a way
of culture within the organization. The longer it is accepted – the
further it spreads and before you know it an epidemic can take hold.
What are you going to do?
Carpe diem.
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