Three keys to accountability

by Dave Anderson

When you hold your people accountable for results, you create an environment of urgency, focus and a positive pressure to perform. A strong accountability culture does more to define your workplace environment than your eight-inch thick procedure manual, impassioned speeches about the need for results, and countless pep talks combined.

When people are held accountable they cannot simply “go through the motions” and mark time doing unacceptable amounts of work -- at least not for long.

Here are three key components to get your people focused on results: 

1. Define clear expectations
including minimum performance 
standards and attach appropriate consequences
Ambiguity is the enemy of accountability. Thus, expectations must be clear and easy to measure. Good people will try hard to hit a standard if they know what it is, but it’s difficult for them to work longer and harder for a goal that is shrouded in fog. As Vince Lombardi said, “It’s hard to be aggressive when you’re confused.” When you create a vague performance standard like, "we expect you to work hard" you guarantee cloudy and convenient interpretations.

On the other hand: "In any ninety-day period, you must average at least 10 sales per month, or you can no longer work here," leaves no gray area. 

Notice that this expectation includes a clear consequence: “you can no longer work here.” Expectations without a clear consequence are impotent. Some say that cut and dry guidelines don’t leave enough room for individual customization. But by establishing minimum standards for accountability, you are actually declaring a benchmark for performance. Your benchmark makes it clear that you are unwilling to compromise with anything less.

If you deliberately choose not to stand for something specific, you stand for nothing by default. You will be tempted to find numerous and creative ways to excuse, rationalize and trivialize poor performance. By failing to create performance clarity, you will also be reluctant to hold others accountable because you know, deep down, that you never told them exactly what your performance standards are. After all, how can you say to me, “Anderson, you’re not cutting it?” if you’ve never defined what “cutting it” is?” You can’t. So you won’t. Thus, poor performance continues unchecked, and your organization’s standards, morale, momentum and credibility go down the tube.

Your people deserve to know where they stand and where you stand. Clear expectations and consequences take the guesswork out of what is or isn’t acceptable. Make sure your people know that your set expectations are set at the minimum level of performance. Present them as a negative guarantee. This way people won’t reach their objective and then hit the snooze button.

A negative guarantee means that just because you hit the prescribed standard doesn’t mean you automatically keep your job. Factors like attendance, character, team play and customer care must also be considered. On the other hand, a negative guarantee establishes that if an employee doesn’t hit the expectation, they will suffer the consequences.

Obviously, those consequences do not have to include termination. They can range from probation to loss of certain pay incentives, or other privileges. Whatever you choose should be clear and concise.  

Ideally, you will establish both performance and behavioral expectations. Behavioral expectations are often referred to as core values. These are behaviors that make up the DNA of your organization and cannot be compromised. If you don’t establish expectations and hold others accountable for both performance and behavioral standards, you will either wind up with skunks, or nice folks with great values who can’t, or won’t get the job done.

2. Provide the tools they need to execute
As a leader, you have every right to establish clear performance expectations, but you must also provide the support employees need to reach company goals. This includes solid training, fast and direct feedback on performance, and personal coaching.

Many leaders decide to raise the bar in their business and demand more from their people -- but then fail to provide the tools employees need to get the job done. This is irresponsible leadership. If all your people have ever done is run around the block, and you're going to ask them to run a marathon, you’re obliged to do your part and get them ready.

For the employee who wants to do a good job and knows what needs to be done, it’s extremely frustrating to be deprived of the tools, training and support needed to execute.

A key element of support you must also provide employees, is feedback. Your employees need fast, frequent and brutally honest feedback to reinforce good performances, and correct and redirect deficient ones. Feedback must be given informally throughout the day, as well as during formal reviews. To effectively hold people accountable and keep them focused on consistent results, means you must accept the fact that no news is not good news.  

3. Get out of their way
After you clearly define expected outcomes and consequences, establish timelines and provide the tools to succeed, don't micromanage. Make yourself available for support, then get out the person's way and let them run. I've seen too many good people leave organizations because they weren't allowed to make decisions, think, act or initiate on their own. They were trained, but not allowed to use their skills.

Accountability is not a bad word. Too many leaders are apologetic when it comes to expecting people to do the job they’re being paid to perform, or heaven forbid, actually stretch to a second mile performance. Accountability keeps everyone sharp and provides clarity for expected results. Accountability moves your people out of a gray area and into the realm of the absolutes: where there is winning and losing, success and failure, right and wrong.

Dave Anderson, author of the upcoming book Up Your Business: How to Fix, Build or Stretch Your Organization (John Wiley & Sons) is a speaker and trainer on sales, management and leadership. He earned his business reputation by leading top national automotive dealerships to record breaking sales. For more information go to: www.LearnToLead.com. 

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