Monthly Archives: June 2009

Team Problem Solving

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A quick heads-up about our Working Leadership Online program. Our next Subject Area – Team Problem Solving starts Monday. Here is what we will cover.

  • Five reasons to get your team involved in problem solving.
  • Three things that keep you from involving your team.
  • Why no one on your team should get a free ride.
  • How to create active disagreement to shake out the best solution.

Once again, we are offering scholarships to the first ten people who send me an email. ($250 value). I look forward to seeing you online.

Coming up July 6, we begin our coaching series. Here is our schedule for the rest of the year. You can sign up for one subject, three subjects or our annual subscription (best value). Visit Working Leadership Online.

Jun 8 – Team Problem Solving – Power of Team
Jun 29 – Summer Break
Jul 6 – Coaching – Two Powerful Models
Jul 27 – Coaching – Underperformance and Misbehavior
Aug 17 – Coaching – People to Their Maximum Level
Sep 7 – Fall Break
Sep 14 – Managerial Authorities – Managerial Accountability
Oct 5 – Employee Entitlement – Yes, there is one.
Oct 26 – Performance Effectiveness Appraisal
Nov 23 – Break (Thanksgiving – USA)
Nov 30 – Bringing Out the Best in People
Dec 21 – Jan 10, 2010 – Winter Break

Communication Opens Up

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“So, I guess I should have stepped in and told them it was okay to be a little behind on the project. I was just being too hard on everyone,” Sheila figured.

“That’s not the problem,” I replied. “It’s not a matter of being too hard or too soft on your team. It is a matter of fixing accountability. It’s a matter of being very clear on who would be accountable for the result.”

“You mean I should tell them the truth, that they would not be held accountable for the result of the project? That doesn’t seem right. If they know that I am the one accountable for the result, I don’t know what would happen,” Sheila pondered.

“Think about it. If your team knew that you, as the manager, were accountable for the result of the project and the project got behind, would they have tried to cover it up?”

“I suppose not. If they knew that I wasn’t going to chew them out, why would they cover it up?” she said.

“Especially, if you make an agreement with them, because you, as the manager, are accountable for the result, you need to know ASAP if any part of the project gets behind schedule. And you are not doing it because you are tight-fisted, but because you are accountable. When you are clear about accountability, communication opens up and people stop trying to cover their ass.”