Performance Leadership Through Accountability

During my career I spend a lot of time working on the subject of performance management. Most companies define performance management as a process to exit people out of the organization. I view performance management as the starting point to coach people to improve their performance and reach greatness.

Before and/or after the performance evaluation process you may benefit from figuring out whether the person has a willingness or ability to perform.

Your solutions to the person’s performance problem will depend on whether the person has the ability or the willingness to do the job. If the person cannot do the job because they do not have the skill, the solution might be to provide more training or skill development. If the person can do the job but will not, you will have to discern the obstacle to performance.

Each quadrant of the matrix has a different approach to coaching performance and you must customize your solution around their willingness or ability to perform.

This is Accomplished By:

Constructive Feedback:

• Show that your intentions are constructive, not critical.
• Describe your observations.
• Tell them how their behaviour/action affects you, the team and the company.
• Ask for a response.
• Concentrate the discussion on solutions.
• Tell the person what you are going to do and why.
• Agree on an action plan and follow up date.
• Show you support the person.

 
To start to change attitude the person needs to have the willingness to make the change, then you can proceed to the formula for success.

A(S+K) + GOALS = PBC IR

A=Attitudes, S=Skills, K=Knowledge, PBC=Positive Behaviour Change, IR=Improved Results

To be successful you need to change behaviour in a positive manner, you need a specific goal setting process and you have to make the individuals accountable.

One of my favourite subjects is accountability. If you ever want to have some fun ask a person in an organization what they are accountable for! You will be surprised at how many do not have any idea. They will give you a laundry list of things that are organizational goals or milestones such as sales, profit, inventory management, customer service the list is endless. Then ask them what they did when sales were down, profit plan was not met, inventory was not productive. Ninety-five percent of the people I observed start playing the “Blame Game”.

Should becomes the new word in their vocabulary, “he should have”, “I should have”, “she should have”. Resolving problems are not about he said/she said, it’s about what we agreed to do originally. Conversations should be in the future tense using “I” statements. True accountability is about clear agreements, getting done what you said you would do and when you said you would do it. Clear agreements are the glue that hold accountability together and if a task does not turn out so well, go back to the original agreement to focus on you.

Accountability can be summed up as:

“Having a personal willingness after the fact to answer for the results”:

• Did I complete each step of the agreement… if successful celebrate!
• If not – avoid placing blame.
• Take responsibility and fix the problem.
• Ensure you learn from your mistakes.

 
If you want to move yourself and an organization to “True Accountability” you need to concentrate on four subjects:

• A Responsibility Mindset
• Taking Ownership
• The “WE” Syndrome
• Empowerment

 
Here is a brief outline and starting point to start mastering these subject matters.

A Responsibility Mindset:

• Having a responsibility mindset starts first with identifying that there is a need to complete something –
  a task if you will.
• You become the individual that is charged with being the one who understands what the task is.
• You become accountable to see the task through to completion as you declare yourself the owner of that task.
• You become accountable for the results whether they are good or bad.
• You provide task completion dates as much as possible.

 
Taking Ownership:

• • Now that you have the responsibility mindset and have taken ownership of the task, you need to ask:
    • Why: Why does this need to be completed?
    • How: How does this task fit in with the organization or departments goals?
      • How will this impact my results positively?
      • How will I know that I am successful?
    • What: What emphasis needs to placed where and when to achieve the?
      • Desired results or outcome?
      • What do I need to do in order to achieve those results?

 
The “WE” Syndrome:

• • • The same is true in group settings, everyone must know who has taken on that task within the group.
    • During a meeting if you hear “we”, “we didn’t”, “we should”, it means no one person is taking pure accountability for something. The royal “we” never get anything done. Things will only get completed when “WE” statements are replaced with “I”.
    • “A we unowned is a we undone.” Instead, try “I own it”, “I have written it down”, “I will complete it”, “What do I have to do?, “I am”, “I will, “I can”.

 
Empowerment:

• • • Ensure that if you are assigned a task to complete, you are empowered to do so.
    • All too often someone takes accountability for something and then finds out that they do not have the
      proper level of authority to complete it so they stop.
    • Remember: empowerment comes from within/authority can be given.

 
If empowered properly you will:

• • • Decide on the steps you need to take.
    • Ask for assistance if necessary: e.g. you need more authority.
    • Overcome barriers as much as possible to ensure forward momentum.
    • Stay on track if you hit a roadblock.
    • If you come up against a barrier, ask questions… do not let it stop you.

 
Finally, being accountable is about:

• • • Accepting responsibility for a task.
    • Having a responsibility mindset from the onset.
    • Taking ownership for the results.
    • Avoiding the WE syndrome.
    • Empowering yourself through to conclusion.
    • Having true accountability for the results, be they good or bad.
    • Not placing blame.

 
Take responsibility for your actions and be accountable!

If you concentrate on making individuals accountable, focus on changing attitudes this will lead to positive behavioural change that will drive performance to deliver results.

Bruce McGregor
Senior Advisor