What Accountability is All About

People often ask me why regularly scheduled accountability meetings are so important. They struggle with the thought of adding one more thing to their crowded schedules. Although the meetings do take time, it’s clear that skipping them costs even more because of the extra time needed to hire, train and retrain new staff, or to do projects yourself because your people are not accountable.

“Can’t we just chat for a few minutes in the hallway?” is something else I hear quite a bit. And these hallway meetings are a big part of the culture in many organizations. But they don’t always work.

Accountability is more than a quick stop in a hallway. It’s a process that takes place over time. The old Chinese proverb comes to mind: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Accountability is about teaching people to fish; offering them tools they can use for the rest of their lives, in and beyond the workplace.

While a template of questions and tasks can help you navigate an accountability meeting, the real magic happens beneath the surface. Accountability is really about:

• Creating a supportive environment in which people are challenged and encouraged to reach their full potential.
• Using observation and effective listening skills to help people clearly understand their current situation.
• Helping people tap into their own creativity and resourcefulness to uncover strategies that will help them achieve their goals.
• Providing focus, clarity and awareness of possibilities that will lead to effective choices.
• Empowering people to achieve tangible, sustainable results in productivity, relationships, satisfaction with life and work and the achievement of personal and professional goals.
• Getting a holistic, well-rounded, 360-degree view of each person; on the job and off the job.

The accountability process inevitably includes supporting, listening, helping, clarifying, empowering and seeing your people. But essentially, an accountable leader is a guide. Exactly how much progress is made as a result of the accountability process is largely up to the person receiving the guidance.

How much time do you spend developing your people? Are you catching them in the hallway or sitting down with them on a regular basis? How much could they be accomplishing if they had more support? How would having a team full of effective, empowered, productive, creative and fulfilled people improve your bottom line?

And the most important question: How will you approach your next meeting differently?

If you want to supercharge your next meeting, Alan M. Dobzinski is available for executive meeting facilitation. He’ll get right to the bottom of whatever is stopping or blocking your productivity. Guaranteed. Contact him today to get started.

A Grill Cleaning Lesson, Mr. G.-Style

It was a hot summer day and I was sitting by the pool in the courtyard of my building, where there is also a nice grill where residents can barbecue. As I worked on my computer preparing a presentation, I was also watching a maintenance worker teach another worker how to clean the grill.

Now this worker did not speak much English, which made it even more powerful to watch how masterfully this guy could teach!

I actually put everything down to watch this magnificent guy, thinking how he should be a corporate trainer. He was soft-spoken and articulate, and used easy-to-understand language without talking down to the worker. He would stop, point out things, and have the fellow recap points of the lesson to make sure he was understanding.

The worker was kind of nervous in the beginning, worried about making mistakes. But his teacher had a system and was very thorough. He presented a very specific way to do the job, along with the exact tools the worker would need to do the job well.

He could have just laid out the instructions and headed back inside to the air conditioning. But he stayed there in the hot mid-afternoon sun, standing over this grill to watch the worker clean, offering tips or encouragement along the way.

I went over and complimented him on a job well done, and he received the acknowledgment really well. I could tell that he took his job seriously (but didn’t take himself too seriously). He wanted things done right because he cares about the company. And that trickled right down to the worker, who also wanted to do a good job for his teacher.

What about you?

• Are you taking the time to develop your people, while being careful not to talk down to them?
• Do you have a system for accountability, and are you providing the right tools for the job?
• Do you get in the trenches with them, even when things get hot?
• Do you constantly show them how much you care about the company, with your words as well as your actions?
• Do you watch them work and give them feedback, in a way that builds their confidence?

The whole scenario reminded me a lot of my old baseball coach, Mr. G. Mr. G. kept us accountable by setting clear goals and expecting us to achieve them, but he also worked hard to help us develop our skills. And that’s the kind of commitment I saw in this teacher.

So take a lesson from Mr. G. the baseball coach, and my friend the maintenance worker – care about your people, develop your people, and they will care about doing their jobs well.

Alan M. Dobzinski is a masterful meeting facilitator who can pinpoint exactly what’s been stopping or blocking your profitability. What could your people accomplish in a culture of accountability? Find out now by calling Alan at 1-800-489-6980.

Engagement: Are your people twirling their signs?

There is an area in my neighborhood that’s a particular hot spot for new upscale condominiums. To generate interest in the buildings, they often hire kids to stand on the street corner with signs that list the units’ features and any deals that are on.

It’s a busy intersection, and on this particular day there were two kids on opposite corners, diagonally across from each other. I noticed Kid A immediately – he seemed excited, twirling his sign, tossing it up in the air and behind his back, like a scene out of that movie “Cocktail” with Tom Cruise. He’s waving at people, doing his best to make a connection and entertain us for that brief moment we drive by or stop at the light.

Kid B across the way is a different story. He’s about the same age, but has nowhere near the same level of energy or excitement. He’s sitting down, just holding on to the sign so it doesn’t fall over. He’s got his head down and doesn’t seem to care at all whether anyone notices him or the sign.

Which kid would you want working for you? Now think about the people in your firm – which kid IS working for you? Are your team members excited to connect with people and talk about your business, or are they sitting idly by the side of the road with no energy for their job?

Research by Gallup showed that the impact of disengagement in U.S. workplaces was $300 billion in lost productivity. What do you think it’s costing YOU?

As the managing partner, CEO or leader, it’s your job to be accountable for your people and make sure they’re getting what they need – whether that’s motivation, clear direction or coaching – to drum up excitement about their work and express that excitement to clients and prospective clients.

If you’d like to bring your team together and root out what’s getting in the way of people feeling engaged in their work, contact Alan M. Dobzinski to find out more.

Does Your Business Deliver Fast Food or a Gourmet Experience?

I had just finished delivering a leadership accountability seminar at a prestigious private golf club. As I was rushing out to my next stop, I passed through the dining room and saw they were serving these unbelievable burgers. The chef stood proudly behind the table, in full uniform. I told him how good they looked, and I wished I had time to eat one.

“No problem,” he said, “Let me grab you a take-out container.” And he proceeds to pack up a burger for me, with all the toppings, which I thoroughly enjoyed eating while I travelled to my next destination.

I just happened to be going to another golf club, though this was a public course. After playing nine holes, my friend and I are driving to the 10th tee and we see this kid standing outside, ripping apart piles of frozen burgers and slapping them onto a grill (except for the ones he dropped through the grate first). What made the burgers even less appetizing is that he was sniffling, as if he had a cold.

My friend ordered a burger and asked if I wanted one.

Did I want one? I thought back to the burger I’d eaten from the other club, and said no, thanks. They were both burgers, but at the first club, the burger was not only stupendous, so was the service.

So which one of these clubs is your firm? Which burger are you serving? In my many years of working in professional services firms, I’ve been inside many different businesses. Some of them look like a first-class chef, and some of them look like a kid in a dirty apron. And many fall somewhere in between.

If you’re not setting up and empowering your people to deliver a first-class gourmet experience to your clients, I guarantee this is what’s stopping or blocking you from being successful and profitable.

Do you know the impression your staff is making on your guests/clients? Are you empowering them to go above and beyond? Are you tolerating less than tolerable service? What are your standards for service? As the leader, CEO or managing partner of a professional services firm, you are accountable for maintaining these standards. The buck starts with you.

If you’re ready to reveal your “dirty apron kids” and develop your “top hat chefs,” Alan Dobzinski facilitates interactive workshops and seminars that will bring everyone on board with your vision of gourmet service. Contact him today for more information.

Sparking the Fire of Motivation

I’m often asked the question, “How do I motivate my people to change?”

What’s my answer?

You can’t.

Maybe you’ve noticed this in your personal relationships – you can’t make anyone want to do anything.

Even though your goal is to implement an entire culture of accountability at your professional services firm, not every individual person is going to be on board with the process. As the leader of the firm, you need to reserve your time and effort for the people who are serious about improving. You can’t help people who won’t help themselves.

That being said, you also don’t want to give up too quickly. It’s natural for some of your people to be reluctant or resistant, especially if they’ve seen other management initiatives come and go.

While you can’t really motivate people, you can create an environment that makes it easier for them to motivate themselves:

1) Make it easier to succeed – Acknowledge what’s going well, and encourage people to ask for help and ask questions. When people aren’t afraid of making mistakes, they’re more willing to try.

2)  Be certain you have reciprocal clarity of expectations, consequences and timelines – People will work more for success if everyone has agreed on what success looks like.

3) Help people get what they want - Find out what’s important to them, and then provide the tools, resources and support to help them get there. If they know they’re not alone, they’ll feel more encouraged and confident about their efforts.

And don’t forget these accountability basics: Meet with your people regularly so they can see that all of these pieces are in place. Recap what’s been said so everyone leaves on the same page. And write it down so everyone has something to refer to later.

While you can never force someone into feeling motivated, as the leader it’s your job to get these sparks started so your people can find their own way there. That’s why when it comes to accountability, the buck starts here…with you!

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you have any motivation strategies that have worked in your firm? What sparks your own fire of motivation, and when is the last time that happened? Tell me about it! You can either submit a comment below or email me personally.

Five Ways to Deal With Reluctant or Resistant People

Do you get sullen stares and crossed arms in your staff meetings or individual accountability meetings? Or do people politely agree with you and then keeping using the same work habits that are keeping them and your company stuck? If you’re going to achieve more workplace accountability, you’re going to have to meet this reluctance and resistance head on.

Remember the golden rule of accountability: As the leader or managing partner of a law firm, accounting firm or professional services firm, the buck starts with YOU. You can’t change your people, you can only change yourself and how you interact with them.

Here are five things you CAN do to deal with reluctant or resistant people in your firm:

1) Find out what they’re reluctant or resistant to

Is it the coaching approach? Is it the concept of accountability? Is it apprehension because they’ve seen other new management techniques come and go? You may be surprised at the real reason behind their ambivalence.

2) Change your language

If people don’t relate to the terms accountability or coaching, call it something else! Ask them how they would describe the process and then use words they’re comfortable with.

3) Enroll them in the process

Help them understand what you’re trying to accomplish and acknowledge that this is new for you both. Explain that you’re accountable too, and that they can let you know when you’re not living up to your end of the deal. Make it okay for both of you to make mistakes.

4) Set up a trial period

Ask them to give you 60 days to judge whether they’re receiving value from the process (here is a quickie template for that conversation). Assure them that if they’re not getting anything out of the sessions they don’t have to continue.

5) Ask for feedback in EVERY meeting

Use the quickie conversation template (#16) to find out exactly what they found valuable about the session, and how you could do better next time. You can even ask them to rate you on a scale of 1 to 10.

BONUS TIP – The Sandwich: While you definitely want to address any issues of reluctance or resistance, you can sandwich those parts of the conversation between positive praise and acknowledgment for things that are going well.

Have you ever encountered resistant people in your firm? How have you handled it? What’s worked and what hasn’t? Have you ever felt reluctant to try something yourself? How did you get over it? Post a comment below or send your thoughts to me personally.

What happens when the rug gets pulled out?

Whether you’re the CEO or managing partner of a legal firm, an accounting firm or another professional service firm, you have one challenge in common:

People Problems

At the root of all people problems is miscommunication about who is supposed to be doing what. There is either no accountability, inconsistent accountability, or hard-hitting accountability that leads to disengagement and high turnover.

No matter what else you take from these emails and the free accountability tips on the blog, there are three things you need if you’re going to have workplace accountability:

R = Regularly Scheduled Accountability Meetings
U = Upfront Agreements (for more information about upfront agreements, download the free special report or check out my book)
G = Goals: Destination Goals and Journey Goals

Your accountability RUG is the the soft, supportive and protective bottom layer on which everything else rests. Build on it with whichever strategies appeal to you, but don’t neglect any of these essential components.

What happens when the RUG gets pulled out?

Without these important foundational pieces, it’s like the RUG gets pulled out from your attempts at accountability. And you’ll soon be faced with a very different set of Rs:

• Reluctance: “Iʼm not sure we should.”
• Resistance: “I donʼt think I want to.”
• Resentment: “Iʼll do it if you make me.”
• Rage: “Iʼm angry about it.”
• Rebellion: “Iʼm not going to.”
• Revenge: “Iʼll make you pay for this.”
• Resignation: “Iʼm outta here.”
• Rigor mortis: “We’re dead!”

Having an accountability system in place ensures that:

• You know what everyone is supposed to be doing
• They know what they’re supposed to be doing
• Everyone does what they’re supposed to do

Sound good, but you’re not sure where to start? Download my free special report, check out my book or give me a call for a personal consultation.

For Workplace Accountability, Leaders Must Clarify, Not Confuse

You already may be a clear communicator. I have no reason to believe that you’re not. However, communication is such an essential element of accountability that everybody should strive to improve those skills, and the A-C-C Model of Accountability can help.

Despite their best intentions, leaders sometimes communicate in ways that make it more difficult for their people to be accountable. Let’s consider two of the ways CEOs, senior executives and managing partners may inadvertently confuse their people, and how that compromises accountability.

Leaders may not communicate clearly about overall roles or goals

Do you realize that some members of your team may not understand something as simple as what their job entails? How many of them even have a job description? Do they take their performance reviews seriously? Do you?

In a survey published in Coaching For Improved Work Performance (McGraw-Hill 2000), author Ferdinand F. Fournies asked 4,000 managers: “Why don’t employees do what they’re supposed to do?”

The response chosen either first or second, 99 percent of the time, was: “They don’t know what they’re supposed to do.”

Yet, when leaders try to solve individual performance problems, Fournies says, they rarely begin at the beginning: helping people understand exactly what they’re supposed to do. If you’re not in the habit of clarifying these things – for yourself and for them – you’re probably confusing your team.

Leaders can be unclear about task expectations

Another thing that contributes to confusion is when people are not clear about what you expect from them on a particular task. When you’re too busy to stop, you may make quick assignments, often communicating these assignments in the hallway, without even really making eye contact. Then you’re surprised later when the results are not acceptable.

One of my clients, the managing director of a large professional services firm, was having a problem with one of his senior consultants. “Is it possible that she just doesn’t know what to do or how to do it?” I asked.

“No way!” he said emphatically. “She’s been with me for 12 years.”

But those 12 years might be adding to the miscommunication. Sometimes, long-time team members are even less likely to understand what’s needed, because they dare not ask, and you dare not tell them. Both sides assume that the person must understand what’s expected, because he or she has been there “forever.” But longevity doesn’t necessarily add up to mind reading.

Other clients protest, “What, are you crazy?! He’s making $130 grand!” Or, “She’s got an MBA!” Of course, these people know what to do… or do they?

I guarantee you that a high salary alone does not ensure that people understand what you want them to do. Nor do advanced degrees. And like longevity, these factors can actually interfere with your communication. If you assume that people should know, and should not require your time or attention, you’re more likely to overlook their need for instruction and guidance.

No matter how successful, educated, or highly compensated people are, they won’t automatically be clear about their responsibilities. If you’re leading them, it’s your job to make sure they know what to do, and how. The only way to do that is through clear communication.

This article was adapted from my book, The Accountability Factor: The Buck Starts Here. You can get your own copy at: http://accountabilityexperts.com/resources/alans-book-accountability-factor/

Leadership Accountability Requires Care, Not Control

People control in various ways. They don’t always rant and rave. They’re not always openly abusive or angry. In fact, whispers can be quite controlling.

The best way to recognize controlling behavior is by your own response to experiencing it.

For example, in a meeting, does the other person do all the talking? Often that’s the best clue: one-way communication. If you’re told what to do—or telling others what to do—chances are you’re in a controlling and ineffective environment. And chances are, high turnover will result.

Some workplace situations require this style—for example, a controlling command style is highly effective in the military, in a busy restaurant, or in a hospital emergency.  Control even has its place in the business world, e.g., in a desperate turnaround situation when a company is fighting for its life.

The problem arises when the command style is used in an ordinary corporate setting. When leaders treat every problem as if it’s a crisis, and treat their team members like soldiers, people eventually get “combat fatigue” and burn out.

Here are the three primary problems with the control style in the business setting:

1) Controlling leaders don’t capitalize on people’s strengths

Mark was the managing partner of a mid-size law firm that had been experiencing high turnover among its associates. Mark hired me to help him become a more effective leader and improve his relationships within his firm.

When I spent a day with Mark at his firm, I observed his coaching session with Colleen, one of his associates. One of the things I noticed was that he jumped in and directed the conversation even when Colleen was trying to make suggestions.

In fact, when I asked him to repeat back some of those suggestions later, Mark couldn’t recall much of what Colleen had contributed.

Like Mark, many leaders are confident, dynamic and intelligent people. They know a lot. They’re busy. They’re aware of the issues and they’re eager to tell their people how to fix the problems.

Yet even leaders with the best of intentions can inadvertently control a meeting and make people feel intimidated, reluctant to speak up or to regret doing so. Unfortunately, their desire to control does not capitalize on their team members’ strengths. It just makes them more dependent. In essence, controlling behavior wastes company resources.

2) Controlling leaders don’t develop talent for the future

Let’s assume for a moment that you can actually have a good relationship with your people while using a controlling style. For argument’s sake, let’s say that they don’t rebel, they don’t ignore you, and they don’t resign.

What will you have a year from now, or two years from now? You’ll have the same team you have right now. They’ll have the exact same skills and abilities—no better. When you control people, you inhibit—even prohibit—their growth and development.

3) Controlling leaders contribute to high turnover

Naturally, talented people want to use their talents. Naturally, intelligent people want to use their brains. Therefore, controlling leaders fail to attract and retain the most talented people.

“Oh, he’s so controlling!” is one of the most common complaints people make about leaders. That’s never a compliment. No one wishes a leader was more controlling.

The caring solution for leadership accountability

What’s the opposite of command and control leadership? Caring. Learning to care, not control, is the second step of the A-C-C Model of Accountability.

Stay with me. This is not “touchy-feely.” It’s simple human caring, and it’s something all people need in order to achieve the goals you want them to achieve. And here’s the most compelling thing about caring: it works.

In their “Firms of Endearment” study, Raj Sisodia (professor of marketing at Bentley College), Jag Sheth (Emory University) and writer David Wolfe sought a correlation between people skills and profits. They began their research with several hundred top firms and examined such measures as: How did each company treat their suppliers, the environment, and their communities? How successful were their CEOs at inspiring their people?

After completing detailed case studies on 60 of these firms, they came up with a list of 35 companies that had the best records. In looking at financial performance, the researchers found that the “firms of endearment” companies (among them, Whole Foods, Costco, Toyota, Best Buy and JetBlue) returned 758% over a 10-year period, versus 128% for the S&P 500. In each case, the researchers reported that the “firms of endearment” companies were led by “CEOs who inspire respect, loyalty, and even affection, rather than fear.”

Think about your own situation. Do you inspire fear or respect? Do you truly care about your people?

When you care about your employees, you hold them accountable with love. It’s being tough-minded and open-hearted at the same time. It’s caring about who your team members are as people. It’s about supporting them as people. It’s about appreciating their strengths, their good will, and their desire to achieve and grow and produce.

But love? Am I really telling you to love your team? Well, yes. I am.

What if you don’t even like them? It may seem esoteric, but try this and see what happens. When you look for the good in people, and open your heart to them, your feelings may change. When you commit to loving them, even if you don’t like them, you may find yourself genuinely feeling more compassionate and more appreciative.

Of course, your kindness may also change them, and change your relationship with them. Love is to people what water is to plants. Love makes people grow, and it makes them healthier. Therefore, even if you don’t like someone, if you make an attempt to love them, that attempt is likely to change you, that other person, and your relationship.

Which of course, is good for business. Kindness works. Caring pays off. Love becomes profitable.

This article was adapted from my book, The Accountability Factor: The Buck Starts Here. You can get your own copy at: http://accountabilityexperts.com/resources/alans-book-accountability-factor/

Want More Workplace Accountability? Learn to Approach, Not Attack

“What is your problem?!”
“You totally blew the budget!”
“What’s taking you so long?!”

Can you imagine what it feels like to be spoken to that way? Regardless of the intent, this kind of language (especially when accompanied by expressions of disgust, disdain or disrespect), feels like an attack.

I hope you’re not a leader who reprimands your people for poor performance like that. But chances are, you’ve done it at one time or another.

My clients have said to me, “I’m not attacking my team, I’m just confronting them. That’s my responsibility. That’s what I’m paid to do.”

Learning to approach, not attack, is the first step of the A-C-C Model of Accountability.

Because these so-called confrontations often do feel like attacks. Remember, as the CEO, senior executive or managing partner, you’re in a position of power. In a very real sense, you have your people’s futures in your hands.

Your team members are vulnerable to your moods, your decisions, and your whims. Your whispers can sound like shouts to them. So when you “just confront,” they may receive it like a blow to the head or a punch in the stomach.

Why leaders attack

Like everyone else, leaders sometimes feel afraid. They worry, for example, about what will happen if a project isn’t completed on time. Then that fear turns into an attack.

But most of the time, leaders aren’t thinking at all. They’re just reacting. Or they lack the skills to solve the problem. Or they just don’t know a better way. Maybe they grew up in a home where confrontation was the norm. Maybe they learned from a manager who always confronted or attacked them.

Attacking doesn’t work

Attacking tends to shut down creativity. Who can think when they’re being attacked? Who dares submit an idea when it might be mocked or rejected out of hand?

When you attack someone, you deprive them of the opportunity to grow and contribute in ways you might not realize are possible. Not only that, but as a leader you deprive yourself of the opportunity to learn from the people on your team. If you always assume you have the answer, you will fail to benefit from the input others might provide.

Maybe attacking worked as a leadership strategy years ago, when workers had fewer options and felt compelled to stay with one company for their entire career. But nowadays, if people don’t like the way you’re treating them, they’ll leave.

Fortunately, neither attacking nor confronting is necessary for workplace accountability. When you need to communicate with your team about mistakes, shortcomings or other problems, you can approach them instead.

When it’s time to have a conversation with one of your people—even someone who’s not working up to par—think of it as an approach. You’ll be starting off on the right foot, as long as you are:

• Open
• Receptive
• Considerate
• Seeking information
• Interested in what the other person has to say.

After all, It’s hard to take responsibility, to admit our mistakes, and to make ourselves vulnerable to other people by telling the simple truth about our human failings.

It’s hard to say, “I blew it today.” Or, “I didn’t include Mr. Miller in the email. I guess I was rushing too much.” Or, “I got distracted by something else and I just didn’t call Melinda like I was supposed to.”

That’s why it’s not fair to expect your people to do it off the bat. It’s up to you—the CEO, senior executive or managing partner—to establish that atmosphere of complete honesty and openness.

But a small change in your behavior can have a huge impact on your team. When you openly share the truth—about yourself, your expectations, and your own faults and failings—it sets the stage for your people to do the same. That’s the crux of the Approach philosophy: you meet respectfully, talk honestly, and work things out.

Stay tuned for the next article in this series, when we look at how leaders can increase workplace accountability even more if they they care, not control.

This article was adapted from my book, The Accountability Factor: The Buck Starts Here. You can get your own copy at: http://accountabilityexperts.com/resources/alans-book-accountability-factor/

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