The art of organizational change and management is not easy. People have their own motivations, inspirations and constitutions. Throw all that in a mix and it’s hard to figure out what to do with accountability and getting to goals.
But one thing I have learned working with people and teams is that there has to be clear consequences for if you are right or wrong. I’m not necessarily talking about punitive measures, though this may be appropriate depending on circumstances and goals.
But the clear consequence – reward or failure – has to be owned by people. Otherwise, you compromise the actions and success of projects.
If you are wanting to increase quality, then make the consequences clear when a customer finds shortcomings in your service.
If you are wanting to make sure all sales activities are captured for management review then don’t pay commissions on sales without call records.
It has to be spelled out and concrete. You will see the goal translated into people’s behaviors.
The hard part is making that translation tangible and front of mind. Then you know you have great accountability and clarity between the big goal and the actions.
So, instead of yelling louder, look at your system of consequences and accountability. Be the mastermind and tweak the rules. Make them clear and communicate so there is not a lack of understanding. Then be vigilant in backing up your expectations.
How are you doing with leading others in this way?
