Submitted by FederalWorker on
in
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I have a question for the M-T group. I thought about this after hearing of the FREE conference that is being held in NYC. KUDO to Mike and Mark by the way for offering this!
In light of the recent turmoil in the business world, many have associated the main source of the problem as lack of accountability by senior executives.
Assuming you are the new CEO of your organization, what actions would you take to impart a sense of positive & ethical managerial attitude and responsibility into your workforce?
Re: How to instill a sense of accountability
[quote="FederalWorker"]Assuming you are the new CEO of your organization, what actions would you take to impart a sense of positive & ethical managerial attitude and responsibility into your workforce?[/quote]
To the extent possible the MT Forums discourage hypothetical discussions favoring genuine workplace issues confronting us; i.e. "actionable"
I once had a direct (not at my present place of employment) who artificially delayed action because of an interpersonal conflict. My directive was immediate and stern--my department will not play such games.
Even joking about unethical behavior, in my book, is inappropriate.
If you desire to build a sense of accountability and urgency on your team, I recommend the podcasts
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/12/develop-a-sense-of-urgency-in-your-...
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/12/develop-a-sense-of-urgency-in-your-...
How to instill a sense of accountability
Set goals, make responsibility clear then hold people accountable for achieving them. Make it clear that whilst authority (the power to get something done) can be delegated, responsibility (getting a kicking, metaphorically speaking, for it not being done) cannot be delegated. If I give you a task and you hand it off to to someone else (or break it down into sub-tasks and hand them off to others) then it's still your responsibility to make sure it gets done. Finally track at regular points where people are on the goal, don't wait till the due date to find out they've missed it (if for no other reason than their goal probably supports on of yours so your boss (or shareholders) will hold you accountable for your goal that depends on theirs).
My understanding from what I've seen, heard and read is that the key underlying issue that lead to the current problems was short termism. People only interested in this year's bonus, this year's dividend, how much they could make today by shorting that stock or selling that instrument. Who had the responsibility or the motivation to step in and force a more long term view? Executives were getting their bonuses, shareholders were getting their dividends (plus seeing the valuations of their stock grow), homeowners were seeing the valuation of their house rocket up and politicians were being very popular and taking the credit for the appearance of prosperity.
What gets measured gets done so if you reward behaviour that is profitable in the short term but destructive in the long term then that is what you're likely to get.
Stephen