Be accountable

My apologies…Halloween hindered my ability to get this posted last night.

Accountability is a universal topic amongst you and your peers at work. At home it is the same but probably spoken about in regards to doing the right thing or making amends where necessary. Natural consequences are more easily acquired at home than at work. For whatever reason at work nature has less sway over people’s response to influences. There is a level of invincibility at work that makes this topic more prevalent at work.

If you are on the receiving end of someone not being accountable you are left demanding that atonement and often left wanting. Frequently an assignment is given and the tasked employee either does not do or only half does what has been requested. Then the next party is asked to work with that and be successful. When the downstream partner that got half done work complains there is no way to make the person who led you to this state be accountable for the low quality of work they are providing. How did we get here? I would argue that good intentions may be leading us down the wrong path here, but at the same time I would also argue the laws to protect your employment are not wrong. The effectiveness of those laws is left to the implementation by people. People are the variable element and not every person is created equal in the eyes of accountability.

It seems that every boss you ever have will have a varying degree of skill at confrontation and accountability on difficult topics. You may have the avoider, someone who pretends the issues aren’t there and just let’s everything slide. The joker, who tries to joke with you about the mistake in hopes that it will entice you to perform. The micro manager, who will come and teach you how it’s done and finally do it for you if you seem confused or incapable in some way (or at least act like it). The dictator that condemns you for poor work without helping you understand what it is you might have done wrong, leaving you to hopefully puzzle it out on your own. The coach, finds a way to reach you as an employee, ensure that you know what is being asked of you and gives you the tools to do it. If you still do not perform after that they set clear expectations and then follow up on whatever agreement is made.

Unfortunately there are far too few actual coaches out there and way to many other forms of leaders. Now this is not an excuse to be lazy and slip shod in your work. In fact I believe it is more incumbent on you as a person to be accountable to yourself and your own reputation. Do your best work, be respectful of both your up and downstream partners. If you can serve them well and they reciprocate all of your performance goes up and theoretically the companies as a result. This domino effect will improve your situation and work both personally and financially.

Go back in your mind to a time when you thought someone was not being held accountable for some poor work that had been done. Do you want someone to think that way about you? No. Does feeling that way give you leave to do the same? No. Lead by example and hold yourself accountable to the job that is at hand, do it right and you will be rewarded with gratitude and recognition from your peers. Feel proud of the work you do and what it does for your team and your business.

Take this same mentality home and watch it bloom. It is often much harder to be accountable to people that have to love you because you are related to them. I submit this is the more important place to swallow your pride and do the right thing. You will need your family as much as they need you, even if they do drive you crazy. Someone has to lower their pride and just take the first step in extending the olive branch. It may not work the first time, but with continued, consistent effort, trust can be rebuilt and a relationship healed.