Accountability

How To Create a Culture of Accountability

In business school, a commonly spoken mantra is that team leaders can delegate virtually every aspect of their work — except accountability. When Leaders practice this by also holding themselves accountable, team members pay attention. It shows that no one is above the simple principle of individual responsibility for their work. Here are a few tips to help you build an effective and efficient culture by encouraging your team to celebrate a greater sense of “ownership”. Set Clear Goals   Entrepreneur.com points out that before a company can hold team members responsible for contributing to goals, it must first be clear about what those goals are. Goals should include not just corporate or even department-level objectives, but the expectations of that specific team member. The company may need to make $2,000,000 worth of sales this month, but how much of that dollar value will be assigned to each team and subsequently each person? Entrepreneur.com believes the best goals meet the following criteria: • Written • Relevant • Achievable with effort • Measurable and specific • Constrained by resources and time Eliminate the Culture of Punishment   According to Forbes, for a culture of accountability to thrive, leaders must first eliminate the culture of punishment. If team members believe they will be punished harshly even for small steps out of line, they are less likely to share or act on brilliant ideas. No one will want to try anything new for fear of rocking the boat and being expelled from it. Note that there is no innovation without some level of risk. Even so, inadequacies do need to be addressed. Remember to tie these missed objectives back into the goals and not into shortcomings of the actual person. Entrepreneur.com recommends trying to understand why the team member is falling short rather than berating them for doing so. By helping to discover the cause, you can then help to craft the solution. Empower Your Team   While leaders should never attempt to delegate accountability, they should delegate authority. Doing so empowers team members by giving them the freedom to think and act on their own without a lengthy bureaucratic process. This benefits customers too by shortening the length of time they wait to be served. Imagine the difference in satisfaction between these two customers: • Customer A shares a unique problem with Customer Rep Z who comes up with an agreeable solution and implements it within 24 hours or less. • Customer B shares the same problem with Customer Rep Y, but gets transferred across multiple departments and then up the hierarchy to find one person who is authorized to resolve the issue. Foster Opportunities for Teamwork   Companies often strive to create highly competitive environments that then pit team members against each other on an individual level. Team members may compete for individual monthly bonuses, promotions or the opportunity to work on coveted projects. Inc, however, recommends using collaboration rather than competition to encourage a sense of personal responsibility. In fact, according to Harvard Business Review, the best teams are those that hold themselves accountable. How does this work? Research cited by HBR showed that top-performing teams are those where teammates confront each other immediately but respectfully to address problems that may arise. Put simply, when it is in the best interest of the team, anyone should be able to constructively hold another person responsible for their commitment. This is called universal accountability. Hire and Train Accountable Team Members   Team members make up the building blocks of an organization, and therefore, its culture. This makes workers the easy starting point when trying to change organizational culture. Some leaders immediately turn to hire more accountable people to resolve the issue, but this can create friction. The new team members acting on universal accountability in a workplace where this did not previously exist could be seen as confrontational, causing others to become hostile to them. Because of this, training existing team members is also important. This may not necessarily make the existing workforce accepting of employees who come “ready-made” with this value ingrained. Still, it does make it clear that accountability is an organizational value that is important. This can make all the difference in how individuals react to that first incident when another team member asks them directly about a missed commitment that impacts the team. Partner with Responsible Companies   Accountability is the most critical part of any organization, especially when it comes to contact centers. Etech team members and leaders spend a great deal of time not just representing clients but keeping your most prized assets happy by ensuring commitments are met, i.e., your customers. By embracing a culture of individual and shared accountability, we maintain honesty and integrity as key values in our everyday work lives. For more information about our contact centers, send us an email at info@etechgs.com. This blog was earlier published on LinkedIn.

12 Etech Character Commitments – An In-Depth Look at 1-6

Employee development is key to any company’s success. For Etech, this principle forms the cornerstone of its approach to employee relations, which centers on 12 character commitments essential to support effective implementation of servant leadership. Integrity Employees need to know they can rely on their leadership and on one another. Fostering a spirit of integrity is the first important step towards building a cohesive, motivated team. This character commitment means delineating your company’s principles and supporting your team in adhering to them. Whether interacting with customers, vendors, co-workers, subordinates or supervisors, integrity is an essential component of building trust. Valuing People Many companies approach employees as “human resources,” only taking an interest in whether they perform their current tasks. A more foresighted approach is to not only value current contributions but to take an interest in the whole person. Valuing people for the whole range of their talents and potential paves the road to participating in an employee’s development and assuring long-term success. Teamwork An effective team is vital to maintaining productivity and achieving goals. The principles of servant leadership demand attention to developing teamwork that goes far beyond each employee performing his or her assigned tasks. Real teamwork happens when each employee understands the role of his or her functions within the larger picture of the team and of the entire company. Rather than mechanically repeating a set of actions, employees who work as a true team cooperate intelligently to reach goals they are invested in. Accountability A core character commitment, accountability builds relationships and enhances teamwork. It completes the balance between working together as a united team and taking individual responsibility for one’s own role. Accountability at all levels boosts trust between employees and leaders. Unlike the popular conception, accountability does not just mean accepting blame for when things go wrong. Rather, it is an expression of a personal relationship to one’s work and an understanding of one’s responsibility to the team. Communication It is possible to exchange words without achieving communication. All too frequently, words are used to obscure, deflect or confuse. Communication as a cornerstone of servant leadership, on the other hand, means establishing honest, informative exchanges of ideas. On a logistical level, this can mean company managers may need to review processes to ensure there are protocols in place to enable employees to share information efficiently. On a more general plane, it is important to establish a setting of trust and cooperation that encourages needed communication. Vision All too often, company leaders get caught up in short-term goals. They make the mistake of focusing on meeting today’s goals at the expense of long-term vision. However, it is essential to keep in mind that the short-term tasks are important because they further long-term organizational objectives. Vision is essential to effective leadership, as it enables managers to make strategic decisions and build relationships with their teams. If the above sounds like a lofty challenge, using the right resources can help. AI solutions can aggregate and analyze data to identify areas that would benefit from improvement, as well as paths towards achieving it. Using AI performance analytics in conjunction with the Etech character commitment can help employees attain their full potential.

Accountability: Is It Good or Bad?

Accountability: We hear that word thrown around a lot and for some it can hold deep meaning while for others it can conger up feelings of failure, belittling, defeat, you name it! As I was thinking through what I wanted to say in this series entry, I came across an article by Roger Connors and Tom Smith of Partners in Leadership that I thought was quite profound. Here’s an excerpt: What does it mean to be “held accountable?” Unfortunately, most people view accountability as something that belittles them or happens when performance wanes, problems develop or results fail to materialize. After all, when things are sailing along smoothly, people rarely ask, “Who is accountable for this success?” Webster’s defines “accountable” as “Subject to having to report, explain or justify; being answerable, responsible.” Notice how the definition begins with the words “subject to,” implying little choice in the matter. This confession-oriented and powerless definition suggests what we all have observed—accountability is viewed as a consequence for poor performance; it’s a principle you should fear because it can only end up hurting you. Consider the following new definition of accountability: “A personal choice to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving desired results—to See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It.” This definition includes a mindset or attitude of continually asking, “What else can I do to rise above my circumstances and achieve the results I desire?” It requires a level of ownership that includes making, keeping and answering for personal commitments. Such a perspective embraces both current and future efforts. Armed with this new definition of accountability, you can help yourself and others do everything possible to both overcome difficult circumstances and achieve desired results. The full article is well worth the read and you can check it out here, but this excerpt really resonated with me because it’s SO TRUE! Accountability, for some, can have hugely negative implications that may be associated with failure. We almost never hold anyone accountable for success, while when there’s failure, that’s always the first question asked: “Who is responsible for this?” Someone’s going to take the blame for this failure. What happens when a company turns accountability around from blaming for failure to figuring out how we can do better? That’s kind of a refreshing perspective isn’t it? This caused me to ponder how we approach this very important Character Commitment here at Etech. Are we causing people to fear accountability by tying it to failure, or are we creating a culture that embraces accountability by encouraging our staff to: SEE IT, OWN IT, SOLVE IT & DO IT? As I continually work on improving my own application of accountability, I challenge you to do that same in your organization! This blog has been written in a series based on the Etech Global Services 12 Character Commitments. It was written by Matt Rocco, President and General Manager of Etech Global Services. If you would like to learn more about Etech and our contact center technology and service solutions, please contact us at info@etechgs.com.

How Responsible Leaders Achieve Extraordinary Results with Accountability and High Performing Work Environment?

Your team has the skill and the desire to succeed, but they need leadership. As a leader, your job is to shape your call center’s individual employees into a highly effective team that exceeds all expectations. Good leaders know the importance of accountability, it is actually one of Etech’s leadership commitments. Effective leaders know that accountability applies to both themselves and their team, I cannot hold others accountable if I do not hold myself accountable! Here are steps accountable leaders take to develop their teams. Start with A Plan Call centers are fast moving environments. You don’t always have time to stop and untwist a mess that throws off the normal routine. You need a plan to keep processes moving and to help you get back on track when things go askew. Start by establishing a goal for your department that is tangible and measurable. Assess the skills and abilities of your team. Consider strategies that meet your goals. Break those strategies up into smaller steps. Prepare contingencies for inevitable problems. It isn’t enough to imagine a plan. Instead, write your plan down, and make it accessible to everyone. Share your plan with your team, and ask for input. This plan is a tool that you can use to keep yourself accountable to the standards of success that you have set for your department. Refer back to it often. It will help to guide your conversations towards productive outcomes, and it will help to relieve pressure when your team questions your motives or techniques. Be an Inspiration for Your Team Excitement sells. It’s normal to associate selling with the end user or customer, but you also must sell your ideas to your team. It is much easier to get things done when your team members buy into the plan, own the plan! Ask for their input, incorporate their ideas if appropriate. Ask for their commitment. Once the team is committed, implement the plan with enthusiasm & optimism! Follow your own plan. Once you have set a standard, you need to be the first one to adhere to it. Never try to enforce rules that you are not willing to follow yourself. Your employees can see right through duplicity, and it will make it harder for you to secure their cooperation. An accountable leader accepts criticism and is the first to try to improve. Share the success. Job satisfaction is one the reasons employees stay in their careers. When they feel like they have accomplished something, it encourages better performance. Celebrate wins with your team and, give your people the credit they deserve. Get Your Point Across Communication is a critical skill for any effective leader. Great communicators are aware of the signals they send beyond just the words they speak. Your team picks up on more than just what you say. They observe your tone and body language and then make assumptions about your intent. Effective communicators are also great listeners! Speak clearly and directly Avoiding overly complex phrases and technical jargon Use visual presentations in meetings to clarify meaning Graph out ideas to build associations. Use definitive measurements like timelines or production goals Ask for feedback from your team Confirm each team members understanding and expectations before moving forward In addition to getting your point across, you also need to follow through on the things you say. Failure to execute on what you have committed to damages your credibility and makes it harder to communicate. Meet Individually with Your Team Your team is a group of individuals. They each have different strengths and weaknesses. Sit down and meet with them separately. This gives you the opportunity to find out more about the dynamics of your team. Oftentimes an employee will share with you when no one else is present. The insights you gain in these meetings will assist you connecting with your team better. Use these meetings to set clear expectations for all your employees. Coach up individual’s opportunities while encouraging each team member to maximize their strengths. Document a growth plan for each individual team member that is actionable, measurable and time sensitive. Develop an Objective Metric of Evaluations In most cases, employees report that evaluations are nearly meaningless. Not only do your team members have their own ideas about their performance, your management team does not always provide feedback that is consistent. Use an objective evaluation of employee performance. Use sales figures or work output that can be measured Reference employee attendance records Show positive changes in habits and highlight positive outcomes Show positive changes in habits and highlight positive outcomes Show completed projects and the impact they have had Demonstrate mistakes and the costs Discuss changes in the employee’s training and career growth These objective measurements should be standardized. All members of the leadership team need to know how to provide the same feedback for your team. It will help to identify problems and reduce the frustrations that your employees feel when criticized by someone who does not use the same standards. Balance Meetings and Emails Email is a wonderful tool of communication. You can quickly send a string of instructions to different team members or update the entire team with one memo. Emails also track communication. Team meetings are another great communication tool. Getting everyone together to talk about the department’s goals is more than just an opportunity to share your ideas. These meetings provide you with feedback from your team. They are a team building exercise as well. Be careful to use both tools wisely, and strike a careful balance between email messages and meetings. Depending too much on emails disassociates you from your team. Spending too much time in meetings is wasteful and frustrating. Learn to run an efficient meeting, and keep your emails concise. Accountable leaders get results. They know how to create, lead, serve and inspire high performing teams! By implementing these important accountability traits you will be on your way to developing highly productive and accountable teams!

Accountability 101: Leaders Go First

What does accountability mean? Miriam Webster defines accountability as: the quality or state of being accountable. An obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. Unfortunately, within many organizations, zeal for accountability may fall by the wayside because most employees still view accountability as a punishment for failure, versus a personal commitment to be responsible for a specific goal or task. Images of stuffy suits pounding fists on the table and grumbling, “someone must be held accountable,” or, “who is accountable for this mess?” can mistakenly be conjured if clear and visible definitions are not utilized and adhered to by all levels of your team. This mentality can also create many unintended consequences including finger pointing, lack of trust, lack of transparency, and lack of action for fear of failure; all negatively impacting the success of your business and team. On the flip side, accountability when clearly defined and executed can engage your workforce and drive unprecedented results. Below are three simple steps to help redefine accountability within your organization and get you started on the path to creating a more accountable workforce. Establish a Clear Definition The best way to ensure everyone is on the same page is to clearly define what accountability looks like within your team or company. Own it, define it, train it, and make it visible so everyone has the same message. It must be clear that accountability is personal ownership of an agreed upon goal or objective; a commitment to deliver a specific action and/or result. Own it, define it, train it and make it visible throughout your business! Communicate your definition in huddles, screen savers, posters, and newsletter articles; you cannot over communicate. Make sure you leverage several mediums to reach all parties. Set Clear Expectations After you have established and communicated an agreed-upon definition of accountability for your organization, the next step is to ensure that expectations are properly set. When should you do this? The correct answer is anytime an expectation is created or changed. It is critical to define who, what, why, how and by when. In addition, there must also be clearly defined consequences for both success and failure. Engaging your employee or team here is critical. Ask them, what will success mean for the business or individual? Conversely, what impact would failure have on the business or individual? This can help create buy-in and fuel understanding of how the individual and team fits into broader organizational goals. Lead by Example The best form of accountability is one where leaders go first by ensuring the conditions for accountability have been properly set. Next, leaders must also ensure that commitments to the team have been met in support of achieving the goal. Leading by example in this key area will not only build trust within your organization, but set a powerful example that others are willing to follow. Simon Sinek wrote a book titled, Leaders Eat Last, that highlights the importance of building trust within an organization and the benefits this creates through employee loyalty. People will give their all to accomplish the company vision as laid out by their leader when the employees believe their leader puts employee needs ahead of their own. This is a powerful concept that has been proven time and time again. This same theory is at play with accountability. Leaders Eat Last, but with taking accountability, Leaders Go First! In conclusion, by establishing a clear definition of accountability, setting clear expectations, and leading by example you will be well on your way to creating a culture of accountability within your organization.

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