thoughts

accountability

Newsworthy word of the week: Accountability. Holding one another (our colleagues, our leaders, our peers) accountable is a key component of keeping systems functioning the way they should. So why do so many orgs fail to implement these practices that help professionals thrive? Some keys below. 🔑

A 2015 research survey by Partners in Leadership found that 91% of respondents itemized “improving the ability to hold others accountable in an effective way” as a top leadership concern in their organizations. 91% – 9 out of 10 people in your office say the accountability structure is abysmal…and likely getting worse. We all know that meeting (or hopefully exceeding) the performance and behavioral expectations of those around you pays both implicit and explicit dividends, but connecting those ends is often elusive.

So what do we do about it?

💡When creating best practices around accountability at your organization refer to these suggestions that will lay a healthy foundation from which to build.

1️⃣ Align Everyone to the Customer’s Needs

↳ Yes, everyone – even HR. Establishing a lens to help employees filter the question “How does my work help our customers?” is a connective piece of the puzzle that sets the standard of accountability. Encouraging that alignment increases engagement across the organization and is the first answer to the ever present question of “why.” Answer: because our customers require it and we are accountable to them.

2️⃣ Frame It, Define It – Give It Meaning

↳ “It” can be anything – expectations, outcomes, changes. If your colleagues don’t understand what “it” is or how “it” relates to their work, they are unlikely to succeed or be complacent in being held accountable to “it” (unwittingly missing the mark due to misaligned frames). This includes setting deadlines and measurements by which “it” will be compared – remember SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) when defining.

3️⃣ Prioritize Connection

↳ Human beings are, inherently, most accountable to those with which they have connection. An evolutionary advantage of the earliest humans (e.g., they take care of me, I will take care of them) that has become hard coded into the relationships we form both in the workplace and society more broadly. Connection encourages quality feedback, incentivizes action, and deepens the commitment to the organizational mission – all features that can help usher in accountability where it matters most.

4 June 2024

workplace discourse: the butker quandary

The workplace is a microcosm of the larger society in which it exists. But is it the appropriate place to have a debate on current societal dilemmas? More below. 👇

I was recently in an interview panel (as the interviewee) when a panel member asked the following question: “Should employees be allowed to talk about the Harrison Butker speech at work?” A bold question for a 2nd round interview, but I assumed if it was important enough to ask there had to be a story. Seeking context I prodded and came to learn the team had experienced a “blowout” (their words) among two groups of employees (one group on one side, one group on the other). The current HR team wasn’t prepared for the thrash that ensued and are currently at odds about how to proceed. 

It IS an age old question – what kind of discourse should we permit in the workplace, and what is off limits? While each company will have their own culture through which to lens each situation, here are some suggested guidelines for how to encourage healthy dialogue about what is happening beyond the “walls” of your organization.

✅ YES, employers should establish norms about how to handle atypical societal topics that come up (because they will). Using the Values of the organization as a filter through which to frame these norms can help. Having a safe phrase or a “purple flag” that halts the discussion can be a useful resource, as well, if tempers flare.

🚫 NO, employers should not be in the business of monitoring every employee opinion at work. Some yes, all no. Discretion in action on this front is hard to implement and even harder to maintain, however it is an important feature of keeping people accountable to themselves, one another, and the business. Ensuring employers recognize their own biases is an important step in appropriate (and legally sound) monitoring.

✅ YES, employees should feel safe to express differing viewpoints in the workplace. It is the employer’s responsibility to create that psychological safety and ensure varying ideas are heard, digested and calmly debated – diversity of thought (both personal and professional) is valuable and can help create better products.

🚫 NO, employees are not allowed to disrespect, bully, harass or harm other employees regardless of how much they vehemently disagree. When this happens, dialogue devolves and learning stops – progress is not made by just nodding your head or shaking your fist. It requires active listening and diligent attention to how your actions are perceived by others.

✅ YES, your colleagues are part of your community at work. You do not have to share their opinions, entertain off-topic conversations, or even be friends with them. It is important, however, to note that working effectively together (while achieving business goals in the process) requires patience and an understanding that everyone comes to the table with a different lived experience which shapes their reality.

🚫 NO, your colleagues’ opinions are not allowed to divide your community at work. Speech that seeks to create discordance, find buttons to push, and elicit disunity is problematic and should be not tolerated. This is where the rubber hits the road – when opinions turn into disruptive dialogue which turns into alienating one another which turns into open conflict (or worse).

So, in the end, my short answer to the panel’s question was “YES and NO”. But the longer answer requires establishing care, compassion, and a community of professionals willing to learn from one another. Trusting your HR professionals to help structure this environment and facilitate effective workplace discourse is a good first step. While we may not be able to avoid every conflict that arises while at work, you can be assured we’re continually working out new ways to achieve a more desirable workplace for everyone.

23 May 2024

teachers do 

Hire former educators. You won't regret it. Keep reading.

I suppose it is convenient that, as a former educator, I am advising employers to hire folks like me…but I come prepared (a teacher thing). Even in adverse circumstances, through economic tumult, and amidst the ever evolving world we live in, teachers DO -- they tinker, they perform, they assess, and they foster excellence in those around them.

These are transferrable skills to any role that requires resolve, and skills I have seen yield success at all levels, across departments, and among organizations.

➡ They Do It All. Educators are therapists, social workers, mentors, active listeners, program managers, facilitators, conflict resolvers…people leaders. You'll find former educators as C-suite executives across the globe, maître d's at Michelin starred restaurants, and even as Goofy on Disney cruises (hi, Glen). Adaptable, strategic, creators -- teachers can scratch any (figurative) itch your organization has.

➡ They Do It With Nothing. Educators make magic happen…literally. They build systems with those just learning what systems are. They promote character and influence change in their communities with just their voices. They make ends meet -- teachers find creative ways to fulfill any requirement at any time under any circumstance. They do, and they continue to do to ensure success.

➡ They Are Resilient. Remember that time when the world shut down and the model for education shifted overnight? Teachers met the mission and evolved standards, encouraged inclusivity, and stabilized the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Overstatement? Not even close. Another way that teachers will "wow" you in any role.

Bottom Line: don't sleep on former educators because their provenance on paper doesn't match what your ATS is searching for. You will be surprised what we bring to the table when things get real.

5 March 2024