Performance, when your boss is not around, is a choice and usually an expression of people\u2019s integrity. A common misperception is that if they are working from home, you will not get a full day’s work – that is simply not true. Your best performers will also be your best performers working from home because it is who they are. And to no surprise, your average performers will be average, no matter where they work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether your employees are working virtually at home\nor in your office, you will consistently find they all fall into one of three\ncategories of performance: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Above Average \/Often Exceeds<\/em><\/strong>: Consistently meets and often exceeds the established standards of performance.<\/em> The individual performs above the established standard in either quantity, quality of work, or service to others at least 40% of the time. Completes job responsibilities with less than normal supervision and support.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Average<\/em><\/strong>: Meets the established standards of performance. Consistent performer.<\/strong><\/em> Completes day-to-day tasks, but rarely does anything extra. Performs job responsibilities with normal supervision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Below Average \/Unsatisfactory<\/em><\/strong>: Frequently does not meet the established standards of performance.<\/em> The individual is unable to perform the job standard without substantial assistance. Coaching and or additional training or being written up may be required.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n So\nwhat is the problem? The answer is simple, your accountability system is poorly\ndesigned and leaders do not really know how to hold people accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether\nworking at the office or working from home, accountability is accountability.\nMost company\u2019s accountability systems are unclear and leaders are now seeing\nits effects as their workforce navigates working from home. A company\u2019s\naccountability system should line up with their priorities. Unfortunately, at\nmost levels in the company people can not even tell you what the company’s\npriorities are. According to a survey conducted by Partners In Leadership, <\/em>involving over 40,000 people, \u201c85% of\nsurvey participants indicated they weren\u2019t even sure what their organizations\nare trying to achieve, a missed opportunity for creating alignment and focus.\u201d\nAre most of your employees busy or focused?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaders do not hold leaders accountable for how well\nthey administer the accountability system, and leaders and employees are rarely\ntrained properly to use the accountability system the way it was intended.\nContinuous learning and development are not understood and developing people is\na skill many managers simply do not possess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking again to the Partners In Leadership <\/em>survey, \u201cWhen it comes to holding others\naccountable, 82% of survey participants say they either try but fail or avoid\nit altogether.\u201d When employees are not held accountable for measurable goals\nand living the values of the company, poor performers are not consistently removed.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n To create effectiveness, consistency, and a clear picture of your accountability system, it must have three phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this accountability system means nothing without leaders that are able to successfully execute and administer it. Managers will need to set clear expectations, provide the right tools, resources, have open and honest communication, provide recognition, and most importantly – hold people accountable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where do you start, you ask? Go ask your manager what\nthe top three priorities are for your department or business unit for 2021.\nThen identify 2-3 measurable goals for each of your direct reports that is in\nalignment with the top 3 for your business unit. It will be a meaningful step\nin the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As businesses move to a work-from-home system for the foreseeable future, the job of managing employees only becomes more complicated as managers try to engage with their teams virtually. A survey by Mercer, an HR and workplace benefits consulting firm indicated that \u201c94% of employers surveyed said their company productivity was actually the same (67%) or higher (27%) than it was before the pandemic\u201d. Working from home is not the issue, the accountability system, and your leader’s ability to implement it is. This is fundamentally a leadership issue, imagine the potential for your company if you solved these two problems?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PROBLEM 1: YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM IS POORLY DESIGNED<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
PROBLEM 2: LEADERS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
CONCLUSION<\/h4>\n\n\n\n