Talking both with clients and peers, several issues about today’s workplace come up repeatedly, and the most uncomfortable is the issue of accountability. Leaders understand and also suffer from the epidemic of mental health. They are sometimes loathe to take action as quickly as they should— or lack the training to do the hard work around development and support that may be required.
This post is not for the person just entering the workforce, but for the leader who is in the trenches bringing on and supporting a team with very different expectations and behavior than most of us are used to. Let’s get into it.
The first thing a leader needs to start with is humility (my friend Urs Koenig has a new book out with this word in the title— order your copy now!). The things that worked before don’t work today. Accept it— and move on. Let’s start with what you need to change.
Generational differences are real. Understand that millennials expect to find purpose in their work and in their lives. You may not have needed this or expected this— but it’s reality now. The great thing is that you can do something about this that will supercharge your work force (see link in number 8, below).
Know that millennials expect to have the opportunity for development at work— they expect you to invest in them. Frankly, you should be doing this anyway. You invest in the places you want to see growth personally, and you should make this a priority for your people. See an opportunity? Help them take advantage of it. Ensure they have the chance to develop their leadership skills through formal and informal means, regularly.
Combine 1 and 2: developing your team with purpose centric development, and you’re hitting it out of the park.
And yet. Some people have every reason in the world they can’t or won’t do something— show up at a meeting, make a deliverable. Taking care of your people does not mean coddling them. It does not mean making excuses. It means holding them accountable to the standards that you set, and helping them soar.
But if they don’t flap their wings— if they don’t take some active part in their success— what can you do?
Ensure you have clear job descriptions and that any applicant understands those descriptions. In order for people to meet and exceed standards, they have to understand them.
Have clear expectations not only for every job, but for your team. You may think something is obvious; put it down and make it official.
Understand and respect personal limitations. If someone has to drop off their child at school at 8:15 every morning, holding your staff meeting at 8 AM doesn’t set up them, or the team, for success. (at the same time, personal limitations should not preclude accomplishing objectives, or the person isn’t a good fit for the job).
…to a point. If there is a repeated pattern of interference with the ability to accomplish objectives, have the conversation as close to immediately as you can to determine what the problems might be.
The moment there is a problem with executing on a task, pull the person aside and the a conversation. Document the conversation. Take appropriate action: do they need to work with a mentor? Is there a performance improvement plan? Don’t put off the hard work— it will only make it harder later.
Know your people. If you know, spend time with and care about your people, many potential issues can be avoided.
Actively work on the art and science of active listening (we cover this in The Grit Factor). Learn to read between the lines from the time of an initial interview forward.
Help your people work to understand and employ their own personal purpose. This is a much overlooked and critically important part of increasing engagement performance and longevity. Deploy this kind of development with a cohort at your organization, and you develop both relationships and the common language that makes it a success.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is to help them find a better fit for their interests and abilities— something more aligned with their personal purpose. Consider this a win-win when you’re done— though it won’t make it easy.
Get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations. Your job as a leader is not to be everyone’s friend. Your job is to take care of them, help them be the best versions of themselves, and accomplish your mission and purpose. An excellent resource to do this is here.
How do you select for the right people to begin? Jim Collins’ classic advice in Good to Great is to start out with the right people on the right seats on the right bus. There is not a more important thing to do if you want an organization to succeed. (repeat: there is nothing more important than this).
I’ve made the mistake of not getting this right out of the gates, and the result is excruciating. Get this part right. How do you do it?
Interview and get references to be sure the person has a track record of success in the manner in which at the scale that is needed to be successful. I cannot believe how many examples I see where this is not done. Talk is cheap. History and results matter.
Be confident this person can play well in the sandbox— work well with others, and specifically with the team you’re assembling. Ironically, someone who is self confident is more likely to be humble and work well; someone who is unsure of themselves can be very dangerous to an organization.
This is the hard part of leadership. What have I left out? Send me a note and let me know, or leave a comment. And send this on to someone who needs to read it— I’d be grateful if it could help someone else on their leadership journey.
It’s tough out there right now. Leadership is always a sacred trust. You’re doing the real work. And our world needs it, desperately.
to your grit,
Shannon
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