Why is holding people accountable so hard?

I've been working with several leadership teams recently who are struggling with all kinds of challenges, but the number one problem I've seen in the last year is managers not holding their teams accountable for their output.

So I've gotten curious about why this is. Why aren't managers calling their employees on their bad behavior? What gets in the way of creating a culture where people can meet expectations and thrive?

Here are some of the more standard answers that I've gotten:

1) "I don't want to micromanage them"

Let's differentiate micromanagement from accountability. Micromanaging is telling them what to do and how to do it. And then hovering around them, giving feedback on how to do it better when they're not doing it exactly the way you'd do it.

Accountability is telling them what the task is, when it needs to be done, and then teaching them what they need to know or offering yourself as a resource if they have any questions. It's allowing them freedom over how they get things done, but no flexibility around when or if it gets done.

So don't fall into this trap. Accountability is not hovering over them, asking them for status updates every 20 minutes, or insisting they do the work the way you'd do it.

2) "I don't have time"

If you don't have time for accountability, you're making time for problems.

I agree that good accountability requires you to know what's going on with your direct reports and to stay one step ahead of them as they do it. You don't have to know how to do their job or task, but you do have to know how it fits into the overall process or organization and why it's important that it be done on time.

And the truth is, you're already spending that time you're afraid of losing - by fixing mistakes, cleaning up errors, babysitting the work, or mending bridges between angry coworkers.

Also, as a leader, it's part of your job, like timesheets and performance appraisals. Just because nobody's holding you accountable for holding others accountable doesn't mean it doesn't need to be done.

3) "I don't want them to hate me."

It doesn't matter what's holding you back -- whether it's fear of the conflict/difficult conversation or concern over the hit your relationship with the employee will take -- letting poor performance slide is likely causing someone else on the team to "hate" you for letting that one person get away with it.

While the direct confrontation may be nerve-wracking, you can remind yourself of the good you're doing for the team (and your own reputation) as you're having it. And you can get coaching or support to make sure the conversation goes as drama-free as possible.

A key to doing this is being clear up front. Before a task is performed, explain what you expect to see, when it needs to be done, and that you're here to help.

4) "I don't want to be unfair."

Guess what? If you're letting poor performance slide, you're being unfair - either to yourself or to the team members who have to pick up the slack. I hear this a lot, especially when you have newbies and tenured veterans performing the same role. Even though their job descriptions are identical, what you expect of someone new to a role is different from what you expect from someone who's done the job for years. If the vet is doing 10x the work of the newbie and gets the same performance evaluation - that's unfair. But expecting both players to pull their weight (in their own ways) is totally fair.

Some managers (like me) have exceptionally high standards, and wonder if their idea of "underperforming" is fair. Is it realistic to hold that high a standard? I think this varies from manager to manager, but if you're clear up front what you expect, even sharing that your standards are high, people are more likely to meet your expectations than if you don't tell them.

If you have questions about the fairness of holding someone accountable, talk to your HR partner, manager, or peers. Getting multiple perspectives can help you see things in a new light.

5) "I can't change their behavior."

In general, I agree that we can't change anyone else's behavior. But we can make it difficult for them to continue in the behavior they're displaying by enforcing consequences. "Consequences" doesn't have to mean getting fired. It just means that there is a follow-on effect of their behavior. So a consequence of repeated bad performance could be "we're going to have a more serious conversation about this" or "we'll be talking to HR next week about your performance." Nobody wakes up in the morning excited to have a more serious conversation with their manager, and often it's enough to get the behavior to change.

And if it's not, most managers have the authority or influence to start the process of separating from the problematic employee. You may not be the one to make the final decision, but you can bring it up with the people who do.

6) "I don't know how."

This is real. We're not taught how to create a culture of accountability, and we're not taught how to manage people who aren't holding themselves accountable.

The good news is that there are lots of ways to hold employees accountable, and tons of tools out there to help with it. In my opinion, the best way is to pay attention to what they're doing (and how they're doing it), identify what part of their work or behavior isn't meeting expectations, and then give them feedback on it.

In most organizations, you don't have to do accountability alone. You can get help from your manager or your HR partner. You can hire a coach (like me!) or a facilitator (like me!) to help your struggling employees.

A key part of creating a culture of accountability is holding yourself accountable and then demonstrating your accountability to your team. Make it visible and copyable. Share your tools and tips. Teach others how to own their work and be proud of their responsibilities.

Because a culture of accountability can start with you, I wonder how well you are demonstrating your accountability? Take this free assessment and find out!