“Curtis just threw me under the bus, when he is the one responsible for the decision,” Glenn explained. “During the day, we give our technicians full access to an inventory of specialty tools, but at the end of the shift, all specialty tools have to be returned. It looks like we are mother hen, but the supervisor, Curtis, checks to make sure all the tools are returned and in working order. If we need one and it’s missing or broken, the down-time costs us.”

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

“Curtis had to explain the rule, again, to some of the crew, and he was getting pushback. Rather than explain it, he just said it was my rule and that if anyone had a problem with it, they could see me.”

“Is it your rule?”

“It’s part of the system I designed. A daily tool check keeps our specialty tools close enough to prevent down-time from a missing or broken tool. An hourly check is too often, but if we don’t do it once a day, the tools get legs and walk off.”

“So, it’s your system?”

“It is my system, but it is Curtis’ role to explain the system and enforce the system. He doesn’t have to design the system, just drive it.”

“So, how do you explain it to Curtis, so he doesn’t throw you under the bus?”

“Not if you look closer,” I insisted. “Andre does make decisions, and that is what you are unhappy about. Right now, you don’t see those decisions, and that’s why you have trouble talking to him about his performance. The discretionary part of every job is where effectiveness lives.”

“But Andre is a machine operator. I don’t see what decisions he makes,” Ruben explained.

“When you can see his decisions, you can help him. And you can help him.” I stopped to see Ruben mentally catch up. “When Andre comes on shift, does he make a decision about how much raw material to pull from the rack?”

“Well, yes, but he has a list of what he has to produce for the day, so I don’t see where the decision is,” Ruben resisted.

“Does he pull all the material for the day, or does he only pull part of the material?”

Ruben rolled his eyes, “I don’t know, what does it matter?”

“You don’t know the answer to that question, because that is a decision that Andre has to make. That is part of his discretion. And it has an impact on his productivity. If he has ten units to produce and he only pulls eight sheets, he will have to make another trip with the forklift. And when he makes the extra trip, he has to shut his machine down.

“Or if he has ten units to make and he pulls twelve sheets, then he has to put two sheets back in the rack. And how easy is it to scratch those sheets as they are handled? The decision he makes has an impact on machine time and scrap.

“Andre is effective, not because he shows up on time and wears his safety equipment (he has to do that) but by the decisions he makes. Effectiveness comes from the discretionary part of his role.”

“Showing up on time, following procedures and completing assignments are the prescribed duties,” I said. “If Andre can’t deliver those, he can’t be on the team.”

Ruben nodded his head.

“But meeting the prescribed tasks, does not mean he is doing a great job, or even a good job,” I continued. “So let’s talk about the discretionary part of his job, which is the real work.”

“The discretionary part?” Ruben looked puzzled.

I nodded. “The discretionary part. Look, Ruben, what is work?”

“What kind of question is that?” he replied.

“It’s a very important question. You could say that work is showing up on time, following procedures and completing assignments, but that would lead us down the wrong path.” Ruben stared at me, not blinking. “Being effective has to do with the discretionary part of your job.”

“I’m not sure I understand the discretionary part.”

“Discretion has to do with the decisions that Andre has to make.”

“But Andre doesn’t make decisions, he just has to do his job,” Ruben gently replied.

“He meets the minimum standard, but he is still doing a lousy job?” I repeat.

“Yes, and the frustrating part is, I can’t explain it to him,” Ruben shook his head. “He always comes back and says he is doing the job exactly as I say. And he is, but he is still doing a lousy job.”

“Let’s look at some really obvious stuff,” I started. “I am going to describe some things that are absolutely required, let’s call them the prescribed parts of the job, some really obvious things.

• Andre has to be at his work station, ready to go at 8:00a each day.
• He has to wear the proper safety equipment.
• He has to follow safety standards around the machines and tools.
• He has to produce the number of units assigned during each week’s production run.

“Well, yes, okay, he does that stuff,” Ruben responded.

“There are some other things, but these are easy to see and you can’t argue with them. If he didn’t show up at 8:00a, and if he didn’t wear his safety equipment, follow procedures and make his production assignments, he couldn’t be on the team?”

“Okay, I’m with you so far.

“So, I am accountable for the output of my team, the results. Please tell me what is in the contract. What is each team member responsible for?” Sheila asked.

“With accountability for results clearly fixed with the manager, here is what we need from each member,” I replied. “Here is the contract:

“Each team member is required

• To do their best.
• To report to their manager ASAP whenever they see that the project will not meet the results outlined by the manager (behind schedule or failing a quality standard), so that appropriate action can be taken by the manager.
• To report to their manager ASAP whenever they see that the project will exceed the results outlined by the manager (ahead of schedule or exceeding a quality standard), so that appropriate action can be taken by the manager.
• To report to their manager whenever circumstances (personal or business) prevent them from doing their best, so that appropriate action can be taken by the manager.

“Sheila, with you, as the manager, assuming accountability for the results of your team and with this contract in place, everything changes.”

“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.”

“As the manager, you agree that you were accountable for the results of the project?” I asked.

“I agree,” Sheila reluctantly replied.

“But the mistakes were made, because the team member thought they were accountable for the results. When the project first got behind, why didn’t they tell you?”

“I guess they thought they could cover it up, catch up with the schedule and that I wouldn’t find out.”

“Because they knew there would be hell to pay?”

Sheila nodded. “Because there would be hell to pay. I guess I did say that.”

“And because there would be hell to pay, the team member thought they should work overtime to fix the mistake. Is that person authorized to make the decision to work overtime?”

“No, and they talked the whole team into working overtime. And they agreed not to write the time down on their timecard. They were really trying to cover up. HR blew a gasket when someone complained they had to work overtime and weren’t allowed to put it on their timesheet.”

“And why did all this happen?” I pressed.

“Because the team thought they were accountable for the result and there would be hell to pay.”

“So, you told the team something that wasn’t true. You mislead them about who would be accountable,” I said.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Sheila protested. “The problem with the project was just a breakdown in communication.”

“Sheila, I want you to look carefully at a couple of things here,” I replied.

• The project got behind and no one reported it.
• A team member made a decision to work overtime that was not authorized.
• A team member made a decision to use materials that were reserved for the next shift.

And you can’t tell me why those things happened.”

“It was just an honest mistake. I don’t think they really meant any harm,” Sheila defended.

“So, who should I hold accountable for the project coming in late and over budget?” I asked.

“Well, it was their fault.”

“No,” I shook my head. “All crumbs lead to the manager.”

“But that’s me,” Sheila puzzled.

“They knew they were behind, but didn’t speak up,” Sheila began to think out loud, assembling the events in her mind. “They worked overtime, used up materials intended for the next day. Put us further behind. And still didn’t speak up.”

Again, I asked, “Why didn’t they tell you. After all, you are the manager. And, as the manager, you were accountable for the results of the team.” I stopped. I stopped to see if Sheila noticed that I changed her story. She noticed.

“I know, I know,” she replied. “And you’re right. I told them that they would be held accountable for the results, but in the end, I’m the one in the hot seat. Believe me, my manager was pissed.”

“Let me get this straight,” I said. “You told the team that they would be held accountable for the results of the project, when you knew the accountability for results ends up with you.”

“Well, you know. I always say that. I want the team to take ownership. Every manager I know, says that.”