Have you ever looked at a room full of people and asked – “Who is responsible?” and watched every person squirm and look at someone else? It’s not a pretty sight.
One of the biggest issues I see negatively impacting on business success is lack of accountability. Nine times out of ten when a business is underperforming accountability is missing.
Everyone agrees that a key to having a successful business is setting, achieving and measuring against a strategic set of objectives. However, when managers don’t hold their employees accountable for results, the message that is sent is that missing targets and performance goals is acceptable … and your business will suffer.
Below-average performance may appear in a variety of ways. The employee may consistently arrive late to work, fail to submit timely expense reports or simply not follow company procedure. What message do you send people when there is no consequence for non-performance? When managers allow below average performance they are, in effect, encouraging mediocrity.
Not only does the acceptance of an employee’s under-performance encourage a blatant disrespect for co-workers, the manager and the company, it breeds a negative environment where this type of behaviour is perceived as acceptable.
One of the consequences of the lack of accountability is it always effects the good performers. Your “A-team” will either become frustrated, possibly quit and go to a company that encourages their employees to achieve a higher set of standards, or they will begin to question why they need to work so hard – and slip into the easier role of under-performance.
Either way – your best employees will not be happy, and again, your business will suffer.
