Time to return to workplace accountability

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The corporate pendulum has swung from authoritarian to permissive. Like the nation in general, we're allowing the "victim mentality" to rule. Like over-indulged 2-year olds, some employees are whining and stomping their feet and getting what they want...and the other employees are sick of it. These spoiled brats are hiding behind the skirts of the legal system and exploiting the fears of managers. "You can't do that or I’m going to sue," has replaced "I'm going to scream and hold my breath until you give in." It worked for them as children and it seems to be working now. And it will continue unless we take steps to get the pendulum to stop somewhere in the middle; a place I call The Responsible Workplace.

All this excuse making and finger pointing has weakened our workplaces. The quality guru, Deming, says "drive out fear" but it has been misinterpreted by some to mean: "hold no one accountable." It protects the worst employees and hurts the best performers. Don't believe me? Tomorrow, go up to five employees and ask them who the worst performer is. They know. They also are likely to add, "Why doesn't someone do something about it? It's hurting our customer service and our profitability...He's getting away with murder, and the rest of us are paying the price."

If you probe deeper, you hear things like this: "I can't fire her because she's a woman over 40." "You can't make me do that...it's not in my job description." Sound familiar? Taking responsibility for your own behavior and doing what's right seem to be a lost art.

The search for a new, more empowering culture is making managers tentative and insecure with poor performers. Like inexperienced parents cowed by a demanding child, they give in and the behavior gets worse. They don't know how to stop it. Down deep they know they're ruining the character of the child by not setting limits but they're unsure about how to do it and they want to avoid the inevitable tantrum.

It's time to take a stand. Most employees want to work for The Responsible Workplace. Adults and children alike want to know where the line is drawn. Once they know what's expected and where the parameters are, everyone can stop testing the limits and get down to business.

Here's a blueprint for building the foundation of The Responsible Workplace: a place where people are treated like adults and expected to self-manage within a defined boundary.

Start by hiring people who fit your new culture. That means you must first define the kind of behaviors you want. Screen carefully for people who have a mature, responsible history in past jobs. Look for people with a track record of good judgment. Ask questions about how they've handled mistakes and failure, conflicts with co-workers, and setbacks. Let their potential co-workers grill them. Design a real-life case study and ask them how they'd handle it. Check references thoroughly.

Set the ground rules and stick to them. There's a security and comfort in knowing what's expected and knowing everyone's playing by the same rules. Paint a picture of the new culture for all employees. Let employees help describe the behavior that will be expected from everyone and then build it into the performance review system for all employees, including the top managers. When someone gets off track, step in quickly to find out what's wrong and help them get back in the groove. If they can't improve, train them or, if necessary, move them to a job where they can succeed. If they won't improve, let them "fire themselves" through a progressive discipline system that holds them accountable for their own behavior.

Dismantle the old rule book and policy manual. If you have a rule for every little thing, you are treating people like children...telling them what to do instead of letting them think. Work together to develop the vision and goals, so everyone understands and knows why they're important. Then establish the boundaries. Most important, give them the information and resources they need to do the right thing for the customer. They will be able to think like an "owner" instead of being locked in by rules. Only use rules for things that must be enforced.

Let employees have input into everything from the vision to how their co-workers are appraised. When they realize they have a significant influence over the success or failure of the enterprise, they will stop complaining to management to fix things and begin working on problems themselves.

Most important, emphasize that with this new-found influence and participation in how the business is run comes a serious responsibility. There's no room for the victim mentality in the new workplace...either lead, follow or get out of the way.

Would you like to bridge the commitment gap with your employees?   We provide customized training workshops for managers and supervisors, that will change behavior, create a healthy culture and build a customer-focused team.  Call us today at (800) 348-1944.