Personal Accountability
This is the 2nd post in a series on some of the skills needed to survive (and succeed) in the workforce. We often assume our employees come to us with everything they need to be able to do the job they were hired for. But that’s not always true! Sometimes we have to take a step back and teach a skill that we expected (but do not see).
Here are some of the skills I often find myself teaching (and re-teaching):
Personal Accountability
Healthy Conflict and Conflict Resolution
Apologizing and Making Things Right
Relationship Mending
Being Kind
This week’s focus is on Personal Accountability – taking responsibility for one’s own actions. There are many aspects of this concept that are applicable to the workplace:
being on time,
showing up prepared,
research done,
ready and alert,
with all needed supplies/equipment,
setting – and meeting (or exceeding) – standards for high-quality work,
following through on assignments and honoring commitments,
acting appropriately for the circumstances
professionally – in dress, in behavior,
and morally / ethically,
as well as consistently meeting deadlines.
An equally important aspect of this concept is acknowledging when one falls short in any of these areas and working to address that, fixing the situation at hand and changing behaviors and habits to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
While we might wish everyone came to our companies knowing how to be personally accountable, that is not always the case, and it would do us well to remember that not every negative behavior is a choice of attitude. Some people really don’t know what is expected or what they are supposed to do.
Tell them. Set your expectations clearly – kindly but firmly. Let your team (and your prospective team members) know what it is you want them to do. There is a risk here of you coming across as condescending or as micro-managing, so try to not address your team as clueless or incapable. Instead, assume they are capable and that they will do what they are supposed to do as long as you have been clear about what that is.
Before someone even joins your team, there are ways to make your expectations explicit. As I’ve mentioned before, the words you use when posting your job, the phrases you share on your website, and the tone you exude even with the font on your application – all of these things begin to set expectations with your future employees before you even meet them.
What is your website telling prospective workers?
How do you application, job description, and position posting set the stage for what you want?
After you hire your team, think about the process of onboarding them and specifically how you train them. What methods of training do you use? What stories do you share that highlight the traits you want? How do your people know what’s important to you? Have you clearly told them?
And, of course, reward (only) the behaviors you want. Who gets acknowledged and praised by leadership? Who gets promoted? What work habits and characteristics do those people exhibit? Are small mistakes overlooked? Are important details often forgotten? Do deadlines get ignored or pushed back? Are you appreciating those with the best ideas or the biggest voices?
What can you do right now to make sure your expectations are clear?
Are you doing it in a way that is respectful and caring?
Which behaviors are you rewarding? Are you sure you’re not rewarding the wrong things? (This is more common than you might imagine. I’m happy to take a look!)