Having employees who are accountable for results the organisation is aiming to achieve is one of the key concerns for any CEO. A number of organisations find themselves struggling to instil the discipline of accountability in their staff members. It is important to note that the discipline of accountability goes hand-in- hand with the organisational culture. Your organisational cultures can breed a culture of inefficiency and non-accountability. It is therefore the role of every CEO to ensure that the culture of the organisation is that which drives results for the benefit of the shareholders and the customers.
If you are struggling to instil a culture that is driven by business results, you are probably not alone. A number of other organisations struggle when it comes to ensuring that people earn their salary by producing the desired results. [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix=""]A lot can be done to instil a culture where business results, driven by a passion for customer service can be achieved.[/inlinetweet]
The starting point in building a culture of this nature is at the top of the organisation. Does your top team believe in achieving the goals of the organisation or they are there for other reasons? [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix=""]If your top team is not willing to be held accountable for results you are unlikely to succeed when it comes to instilling the same discipline to your staff members.[/inlinetweet] Employees will watch what the senior executives in your organisation are doing. If your executives do not care about performance your employees will follow suit. You need to ensure as the CEO that your top team commit itself to the core values of the organisation publicly and privately. Your values should come from how you want to be perceived by your stakeholders. Your top team needs to believe in those values as part of building a sustainable organisational culture.
Is your organisation a safe sanctuary for non- performers? If you find that you are attracting people who are happy to earn a salary without contributing anything, you should look at yourself as the CEO. You may discover that accountability and results for the organisation come from how the top team conducts its work within the organisation. If the starting point is the top it therefore, calls on the organisation to reorient the board of directors on the importance of performance and results in the business. Being on the board of a company does not mean the person is an expert in all aspects of the company business. [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix=""]Just like your employees, your board members need to be trained in all the key areas of your business to enable them to effectively carry out their duties.[/inlinetweet]
At the executive team level is where most of the hard work needs to be done. Although most of our executives have gone through academic training, they still lack people management skills. These skills are a prerequisite for driving results within the organisation. Executives need to know that, unlike machines, human beings will always attach a meaning to events within the organisation. To be able to deal with people issues effectively, executive management teams need coaching on how to handle people issues. This is not industrial relations training but a one -on -one session designed to make sure the executive team member understands the dynamics of dealing with people issues. [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix=""]If your staff members are unhappy they are unlikely to handle your customers well.[/inlinetweet] Executives also need to understand that a number of small events that take place in the organisation can have a profound impact on how employees view management. Some of the events that management considers insignificant generate negative feelings towards management especially when staff welfare is involved.
If as a manager you find that you consistently have problems dealing with your subordinates and other staff members you need to have a look at your leadership style. A lot of the problems which hamper the process of holding people accountable stem from the leadership styles employed by the managers. Some managers want to be viewed as tough. Unfortunately, that may bring temporary results. [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix=""]Work done with resentment for the leader/manager is unlikely to be sustainable, hence the need to solicit the willing participation of your staff in all the initiatives the organisation embarks upon.[/inlinetweet]
Memory Nguwi. Memory Nguwi is an Occupational Psychologist, Data Scientist, Speaker, & Managing Consultant- Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd a management and human resources consulting firm. He is the president of the Zimbabwe Psychology Association. He hosts a radio program HR Perspective every Thursday at 1900hrs on Capitalk 100.4FM. https://www.linkedin.com/in/memorynguwi/ Phone 481946-48/481950/2900276/2900966 or email: mnguwi@ipcconsultants.com or visit our website at www.ipcconsultants.com