“You’ve talked about this before, but I want to make sure I understand it. We need to get 30 units out of this team every day, 15 in the morning and 15 in the afternoon. Right now, if they don’t make it, as their Manager, I get pissed. If it happens two days in a row, double-pissed,” Vicki stated flatly.
“And if that’s the way you see it, then, your system will create behaviors that don’t help,” I replied. “Thirty units a day is your goal. You are responsible for the results from your team. If I hold your team accountable for doing their best and I hold you, as their Manager, accountable for the results, what changes?”
“But what if they show up late for work, or take too many breaks, or slow walk the line? That’s not my fault. If they do that and I don’t reach my goal, how is that my fault?”
“You are still fighting it,” I responded. “If I hold you, as the Manager, accountable for the results of your team, what changes?”
Vicki was stumped. She drew a deep breath. “If you are going to hold me accountable, then I have to make sure my team all shows up for work. I have eight people and with all the cutbacks, it takes full effort to reach my goal.”
“And, what if, one day, your most valuable team member is out sick, truly sick, and I hold you accountable for the results from your team?”
“But if someone gets sick, it’s not my fault!”
“It is not your fault that someone got sick, but I will still hold you accountable for the results from the team. What has to change?” -TF
I think the biggest issue with most managers is being able to think ahead to plan for all contingencies. As the manager we have to think of all possible scenarios and find a way to plan for them to still meet the goals. To really make this work, getting the team members that will actually be performing the job duties is critical. Without their buy-in to the scenarios and their solutions the plan is doomed to fail. If the team members are actively involved in brainstorming the issues that can arise and the possible solutions, then they are much more likely to respond positively when the solution must be implemented.
Say for example one possible solution to the person being out would be overtime for those that came in. Well, if the manager comes up with this on their own and “tells” them they have to work overtime, there’s going to be resistance. But, if the manager had included the team in the process and the team suggested overtime as the solution, when the manager then “reminds” them of what must be done to make the goal they are much more likely to go along without all the moaning.