Torrey took a long breath. “So, I am responsible for the output of my team members?”
“That is what I will hold you accountable for,” I replied.
“Even if they get sick, or a machine breaks down, or materials are late,” Torrey was looking for a way out.
I nodded my head. “Torrey, the reason we selected you for this project, is that you have been successful on other projects, six months in length. I expect you to manage the uncertainty of events that could happen and will happen during a project of this Time Span. I expect you to make contingency plans, schedule redundancy where it’s appropriate, inspect for quality, anticipate schedule changes, vacations and prevent accidents. I don’t expect you to make excuses. I expect you to anticipate, modify, readjust and meet the deadline.”
Just found your blog — delightful. And this posting is a nice way to describe both time span & accountability. Years ago, I proposed to Elliott that accountability consisted of 3C’s:(1) Clear request from the manager, (2) commitment from subordinate, (3) consequences for performance. “Say ‘authorized manager’ instead of ‘manager,’ and I’ll accept it,” he said.
Been using it ever since.