Accountability Matters: Why Holding Yourself Responsible Leads to Success

As a manager, we know that accountability matters, but do we know how to use it?  Ask any leader and they will be the first to tell you that they hold their teams accountable for getting the work done on time, within budget, etc.  But they often won’t be able to tell you how they hold themselves accountable.  Why is that? Many times it’s because they don’t. That’s right, it’s easy to hold others accountable, but when it comes to ourselves, we often fall short.

Why Accountability Matters

As a manager, we know that accountability matters, but do we know how to use it?  Ask any leader and they will be the first to tell you that they hold their teams accountable for getting the work done on time, within budget, etc.  But they often won’t be able to tell you how they hold themselves accountable.  Why is that? Many times, it’s because they don’t. That’s right, it’s easy to hold others accountable, but when it comes to us, we often fall short.

 What Does it Mean to be Accountable?

Being accountable means answering for our actions. It doesn’t matter if we answer to others or ourselves, it means justifying what we’ve done and realizing that there are consequences. It’s a natural part of our job as managers. As soon as we hire someone, we start holding them accountable with policies, procedures, training, etc.  We make sure they fill out timesheets, produce reports, and follow directions. To make sure they understand the consequences, we write performance appraisals. So how do (and why should) we do this for ourselves

Why Personal Accountability Matters

Holding others accountable often feels like micromanagement but it’s not. It’s a critical element of success. If there is no one to answer to – you can do whatever you want without course correction. The consequences can be ruinous.

I know from personal experience because I used to be a manager in a retail operation and left for a position in city government.  I missed the retail atmosphere and went back to work part-time in the evenings.  The young man who replaced me knew how to manage the product but lacked the skills to manage people. His choice of music contained explicit lyrics that customers could hear.  He and his female assistant would horseplay in front of everyone. To him, meeting metrics meant he was doing a good job.  I began to hate working there and the  District manager could not/would not hold him accountable for his conduct. I suspect it’s because some of the staff enjoyed the atmosphere and the ones who didn’t dared complain.

Finally, I had enough and requested a meeting with him. Wanting to see him succeed,  I attempted to coach him about how his conduct could cause problems and his response was to tell me I was no longer the manager, and he would do what he wanted.  The consequences? I quit, Corporate finally got wind of his conduct, and I have no idea where he is now but he’s not working for the company.

You’re not the Only One Affected

There were consequences for the company too.  The District Manager had to expend resources to hire and train yet another manager. For me, I left a job I truly enjoyed and while it’s not a dire consequence, it still matters.

So yes, there are consequences for not holding people accountable and that includes yourself. Had the manager checked himself, he would have understood that his conduct was more appropriate for off-duty hours. So what about you? Do you check on yourself or do you wait until someone else reminds you? If you’re waiting on someone else to do it, you’re missing a great opportunity for growth and success.

Who holds you accountable?

The higher you are in the food chain, the more autonomy you should have but it doesn’t mean you can do anything you want. Power does not equal competence.  It does mean that you are expected to hold yourself accountable instead of having someone check in with you on a routine basis.  When a new hire comes on board, the manager assigns work and checks in routinely to make sure things are going well. The more the new hire learns, the less the manager checks.

The problem starts when you have been promoted several times and your boss assumes that you understand your responsibilities. They trust you to get the job done. Unfortunately, your skills as an individual contributor coupled with your ego, can get in the way. Why? Because you understand the tasks but not the personal responsibility. You haven’t improved the critical thinking skills that let you foresee consequences. As a result, you set yourself, and your team up for failure.  Your personal accountability ultimately affects everyone around you.

The Benefits of Being Accountable

When you hold yourself accountable, your management skills improve in various ways without you really trying.  For example:

• You set an example that others will follow. How you conduct yourself sets the tone for workplace culture. They will be motivated to follow your lead and empowered to hold themselves accountable.
• Your people will begin to trust you and you will gain credibility. Taking responsibility for things that go wrong demonstrates a vulnerability that allows them to fail forward.  There is no progress without failure.
• Your critical thinking skills will improve. Holding yourself accountable means that you will dig deep to understand your challenges so that you can solve problems

Additionally, understanding responsibilities and obligations will make it easier to adapt to change, communicate with clarity and transparency, and meet organizational goals, all of which lead to success.

 

 

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 “Meets Expectations” is Not the Same as Poor Performer

Man pointing finger at one star implying poor performance

It’s performance review time and you’re frustrated.  The superstar you thought you hired is turning out to be a minor-leaguer who can only meet expectations.   In the interview, you were convinced you’d found a future leader who would make the team stronger, smarter, and more efficient but it’s not happening. Instead, you got someone who does the bare minimum, and you can’t figure out what happened.  More importantly,  you want to fix it; to motivate the employee to live up to their true potential. Your frustration has you considering if you should terminate the employee because you can only rate them as “meets expectations”.

You’re trying to figure out what you missed in the interview and how to fix it.  Unfortunately, it all started long before you offered the job offer.  Why? Because the job description is the first place to list the job expectations.  If you are looking for someone with the potential to be a future leader, tell them. All too often, hiring managers list the bare minimum an employee needs to do to meet expectations, then get upset when they get exactly what they requested.  There’s an idea that if someone does more than required, they have the potential for greatness, but you have to wait until they’re working to let them know. I suspect that if you tell applicants you’re looking for greatness in the beginning, you’ll get a better candidate pool. Don’t start with bench players when you can recruit varsity players from the start.

THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF “MEETS EXPECTATIONS”

To many people, a job is just a job.  Some people don’t want to reach the top of the corporate ladder; they just want to pay their bills.  By not defining expectations in the job description, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Once that happens, you’re dealing with emotions, and they’ve affected your ability to reason.  You’re upset that your dream isn’t playing out the way you planned.  Not only is this ineffective, but it’s also not healthy. If you work on understanding and improving your EQ, you will understand that how you see your employee’s role in the organization may not be the same as theirs.

FIRST: SET THE EXPECTATIONS IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION

This is where you start setting your expectations.  You do it not once you’ve filled the position, but as soon as you know you have a position to fill. This is the time to explain what the position entails. In addition to listing duties, don’t forget to include the qualities you expect the candidate to have. You can include things such as:

• Energetic, independent thinker
• Strong critical thinking skills
• Must be able to demonstrate strong, applicable leadership skills

The point is that you can use the job description to attract candidates that fit the role you want.

NEXT: EXPLAIN THE EXPECTATIONS IN THE INTERVIEW

Many hiring managers go into the interview trying to find a good “fit” for the team. What they don’t remember is that the applicant is also interviewing the company.  It’s a two-way street. Setting expectations first in the job description and then in the interview sets the tone for success. If the process involves a panel, all members need to know what the expectations are. Make sure everyone is on board, especially with the soft skills needed to exceed expectations.

Once a final candidate has been chosen, why not discuss the rating system so that the applicant understands what “meets expectations” means?

FINALLY: REINFORCE THE EXPECTATIONS THROUGH COACHING AND MENTORING

If the manager hasn’t set expectations before the candidate comes aboard, it’s not too late.  Work with the employee to set expectations at every opportunity. Some methods include:

• Outline and agree upon expectations on both sides. Remember, the employee accepted the job offer based on their expectations from the company
• Set expectations in regular meetings regarding projects, performance, personal development, etc.
• Use opportunities to coach in the moment, not only when things need correcting but especially when you catch the employee doing something right
• Hold regular meetings with the employee and follow up with short, confirming emails. This does a couple of things
  • It serves as a reminder for both parties
  • It serves as documentation for further actions (i.e. training opportunities, development and goal-setting plans, discipline actions

BOTTOM LINE: “MEETS EXPECTATIONS” IS JUST FINE

The short answer is that employees that meet expectations are a necessary part of the workforce.  Every organization needs people to do the mundane tasks that keep the wheels turning without fanfare.  A good manager recognizes each employee’s contribution and makes it a point to celebrate what they do to keep the wheels on the bus.

 

 

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Are you an Influencer?

There have always been influencers. Think about commercials, ads, and anything that gets to you buy things. However, thanks to the internet, the word has a different meaning. Today’s influencers are social media marketers who make gobs of money simply by suggesting products they may or may not have used.  Authentic celebrities use their fame to endorse products. Internet influencers use products to create their fame. There’s a big difference.

In the workplace, you are also an influencer. Your influence, however, is passive.  That’s because your team is aware of everything you say and do, and it affects the relationships. That makes you an influencer by default and it’s different than being a role model.

Role model vs Influencer

Social norms require us to treat each other with respect and dignity. As role models, we try to demonstrate acceptable behavior in the hope that others will notice and act accordingly. Influence is different because it’s primarily passive. we aren’t necessarily aware that we are doing it.  It’s what others notice about us and how it affects them. I’m suggesting that you practice active influence.

 

My Story

I volunteer for a nonprofit at San Jose State University called Braven.  Braven helps underrepresented students develop the skills necessary to obtain career-oriented first jobs after graduation.  They may be first-generation graduates, low-income, minority, or marginalized in some other way. When I started in 2015, I didn’t see myself as an influencer. I was simply paying it forward. I was wrong but it took me a while to see it.

Each semester, I make the same request. If an African American woman registers for the class, I want them in my cohort. I consciously want to be a role model so that they can see their future success because they see it in me.

It took a few semesters to realize I am also an influencer.  I often use stories about my life.  When I do, I naturally talk about my wife and the fact that being human, I struggle with mental illness. It’s not that I’m making big pronouncements,  it’s just part of who I am. It’s interesting what starts to happen.  When I meet the students individually, I hear their wishes, hopes, and fears. I also hear deeply personal stories about suicide attempts, fears of coming out, and being bullied. That’s when I realized the influence my stories had. They not only create a safe space, but they also allow the kids to open up because they see a part of themselves in me. That’s the power of influence.

Empowering Differences

In 2022, I met Ashley Brundage at the annual NGLCC* conference, and I began to understand my superpower. Ashley is the author of Empowering Differences: Leveraging Your Differences to Impact Change. Her book helps us use our differences to empower others in our desire to level the playing field.  It was while reading the chapter on influence that I realized that I was empowering my students. That’s when I started consciously using influence to create change.

 

 How You Do It

The key to creating change is awareness. Your actions matter, no matter how insignificant you think they are. I know because I was hired by a manager who had 30 grievances filed against her. One of the complaints: “She never speaks to us when she comes in in the morning”.

Self-awareness takes courage. Without it, your ability to understand how you think, communicate, and relate to others is limited. This makes it harder to reach your true potential because you don’t see all of your strengths or areas of growth. When I talk about knowing yourself, I’m not talking about a quick online assessment. I’m talking about a lifelong process (and commitment) that helps you see how you relate emotionally to people and situations. Once you do that, you begin to understand how you influence others. At that point, you begin to show up in a way that creates positive change in others. As the great poet,  Maya Angelou is noted for saying: When people show you who you are, believe them.

*National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce