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The lone genius has become increasingly rare. Even the individuals we celebrate most for their brilliance and influence—people like Richard Branson, Oprah, and Jack Welch—have smoothly functioning, highly productive business teams surrounding them. As the saying goes, “No man (or woman) is an island.”
Nearly all of us work as elements of teams—which inevitably affects our productivity. No matter how superior our skills, we depend on our teammates to help us meet deadlines and satisfy our consumers or superiors. Therefore, anything you can do to encourage your team's sense of accountability results in fewer frustrations and greater results all around. Where do you start?
At the beginning of a new project or when you land a big new client, start by scheduling a focused team meeting. Outline each phase from beginning to end and make sure each person involved understands his or her responsibilities. Set deadlines, adapt general contingency plans to account for emergencies and other unforeseen events. Always have alternate contacts in the other locations and lay out alternate paths to success wherever possible.
No matter how carefully you plan, occasionally a team member will fail you. When it happens, don’t do his or her work yourself or have someone else do it, which simply enables the behavior. Instead, focus on how they will meet their promised obligations. It still surprises me how often people get away with ducking responsibilities just because their leaders give up on them and go around them. But that's unfair to the team members who do their jobs well.
When dealing with such a breakdown, ask yourself:
Discipline is vital for instilling team-wide accountability, so address a slacker's poor performance immediately, with follow-up until the job's done. I recommend a four-stage process, based on the nature of the breakdown and how often lapses occur.
A nudge, reminding them to do what they've promised and be more careful next time. See if the person needs training in organization.
After a serious breach, or when an individual has made a habit of damaging team productivity, speak to them bluntly about their patterns and the impact on the team. Let them know you expect better. Document the conversations.
When the above factors fail, inform them they're treading on thin ice. Tell them if they don't shape up, they're out. Put them on a corrective action plan.
For those can't shape up, exercise the nuclear option. Fire them directly if you can; otherwise, speak to the supervisor and ask for a more dependable partner.
You can assure team accountability and productivity if you're willing to be tough about it and stick to your guns. Clearly communicate team goals to all team members, then oversee performance to ensure you're all in step. Everyone falters occasionally, so be on hand to coach when they do. Sometimes, you may have to be bold for the sake of the team as a whole. You may find this difficult, but overall productivity demands no less.
Want to start your year off on the right foot? Of course you do! Visit our website or download the free e-book to find out how to do so with Salesforce.
