Category Archives: Accountability

The Problem with Results

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“That’s the problem with our results based system,” Audrey explained. “As his manager, I have to sit around and wait for the results to come in. If they don’t, I am supposed to be quick and decisive. Chop phim off at the knees.”

“You sound like it doesn’t work out sometimes.”

“More than sometimes. There are almost always outside circumstances that impact results. I can have someone doing a great job, but some circumstance spoils the party. Even though they were doing a great job, they get a (2) on their performance appraisal.

“Or even worse,” Audrey continued. “I have a supervisor, who is really doing a lousy job, but they get lucky, the goal gets achieved, so they score a (5).”

“And?” I prodded.

“And, now my boss says we have to cut overhead, somebody has to go. I have to pick the lousy supervisor with the (5) and let go the good supervisor with a (2).”

Do You Believe It?

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“When you evaluate his effectiveness, given his resources and his challenges, how does he stack up?” I asked.

Audrey was quick to reply. “No way. That’s the problem. We have a results based performance review system. He is obviously not getting the results we want, but there is always something, some circumstance that prevents him or his team from delivering the goal. And that something, that circumstance always seems to make sense.”

“You mean the excuse that gets him off the hook is the excuse that you believe.” -TF

The Problem is Not the Problem

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“We call him, Teflon,” Audrey said. “Nothing sticks. Things go wrong in his department all the time, but he always has an explanation why one thing or another caused the problem. Always something out of his control. Not his fault.”

“Has he ever taken responsibility for some performance measure in his area?” I asked.

“No, he has never had to. You would think there is a worldwide conspiracy out to get him and foil all his plans. Even when I don’t buy his excuse, he has a backup excuse to replace it. Do you think he is just unlucky?”

“Audrey, sometimes the explanation for the problem tells you more about the explainer than it does about the problem.” -TF

Hands Off

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“Muriel is a line worker, who reports to her supervisor, Vince, who reports to me. Muriel has been here for six months. I am certainly not her supervisor, but I am the Manager Once Removed for her team. Her team is a very important element of my system,” Sylvia explained.

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

“I was talking to Muriel, just asking how things are going, about how she has adjusted to working here. That’s when the fireworks started.”

Sylvia had my curiosity. “Tell me more,” I prompted.

“Her supervisor, Vince, remember that Vince reports to me. Vince walked by, interrupted us, began grilling me on our conversation. I tried to tactfully excuse Sylvia from the discussion, but she had a scared look on her face.”

“What did Vince say?”

“I pulled him into my office so we could talk in private. He said that I was undermining his authority, that if I had anything to say to one of his team members, I needed to go through him and he would deliver the message. Otherwise, he said, Hands Off.”

Is It Too Late?

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Stella’s disbelief faded to reality. “You’re right. That’s what I did during my interview, here. I tried to steer the conversation to my best qualities. I mean, I answered their questions, truthfully, but, you know, they didn’t really ask that many. They spent most of the time describing the job, what they expected and how great the company was.”

“You probably got more out of the interview than they did,” I replied. “So, what can we do different?”

“Isn’t it a little late, we already hired the wrong person.”

A Hundred Reasons

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“I just hope this delegation with Joe goes okay. We have a lot on our plate this week and a couple of serious issues,” Ruben hedged.

“Ruben, there are a hundred reasons why this delegation could fail. If it succeeds, it will not be because everything was right with the world. It will succeed in spite of everything going against it.” -TF

What is Necessary Today?

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“Now that you understand the necessity of delegation, what is the specific outcome that is necessary this week?” I asked.

“I guess I need to delegate something,” Ruben replied.

“Ruben, this is not a guessing game. If you guess, you will be wrong. What specific outcome is necessary this week?”

Ruben paused. “I have a project I want to,” Ruben stopped. “I have a project that is necessary for Joe to complete by next Wednesday.”

“Good. Now, if Joe is to complete this project by next Wednesday, what is necessary for you to do today?” -TF

Necessary

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“No, it is necessary, because if you don’t delegate, you can’t play the role. And if you can’t play the role, then we have to find someone who can. That’s why it is necessary for you to become a better delegator.”

Ruben laughed to break the tension. “When you put it like that, I guess I have to become a better delegator.”

“No, when I put it like that, it means I have to make a choice between you and someone else. The necessity of you becoming a better delegator only happens when you put it like that.”

Ruben was searching for words.

“Ruben, repeat after me. It is important for the words to come from you. ‘It is necessary for me to become a better delegator to be an effective manager. If I do not become an effective delegator, it is necessary that I step aside for someone else.’”

Ruben gulped, then slowly repeated the words. –TF

Here’s Why

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“I know I have to actually delegate something to make progress,” Ruben confirmed. “But I get to work, things start happening and before you know it, I am up to my elbows in problems.”

“Tell me what you want to happen,” I prompted.

“It’s not what I want to happen, it’s one thing after another. For example, I can take you through yesterday, minute by minute and you’ll see what I’m up against.”

“I believe you could take me through, minute by minute, but explaining what happens doesn’t change things. Tell me, Ruben, what do you want to happen?”

“I want to be a better delegator.”

“Now, change one element of your thought. Change want to necessary. It is necessary for you to be a better delegator.”

Ruben looked at me with lizard eyes.

“Why is it necessary for you to be a better delegator?” I asked.

“So, I can be more effective?” Ruben floated.

“No, it is necessary, because if you don’t delegate, you can’t play the role. And if you can’t play the role, then we have to find someone who can. That’s why it is necessary for you to become a better delegator.” -TF

Not a Failure to Communicate

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“I don’t understand,” Dean complained, disappointed with a botched handoff between two of his departments. “We had a meeting about the need to communicate better in the middle of the project. Both sides dropped the ball and everyone is playing the blame game.”

“Yes, but did they get their bonus?” I asked.

Dean looked at me like I was from Mars. “We’re not talking about bonuses, here. We have a communication problem.”

I was looking at pre-project package. It clearly pointed to several team goals for each of the four teams that had to coordinate on the project. And there was a $2000 team bonus tagged to each goal.

“You think you have a communication problem. I think you have a bonus problem.” -TF