MBA2347 Q&A Wednesday: How do I get better at holding my team accountable?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The $100 MBA Show – Episode MBA2347 Q&A Wednesday: How do I get better at holding my team accountable?

Introduction

In Episode MBA2347 of The $100 MBA Show, host Omar Zenhom addresses a crucial aspect of effective team management: holding team members accountable. Released on August 9, 2023, this episode delves into strategies and best practices for fostering accountability without veering into micromanagement. Drawing from his extensive entrepreneurial experience, Omar provides actionable insights tailored for business owners and managers striving to enhance team performance and maintain a productive work environment.

Listener's Question

The episode centers around a listener named Gary's query:

Gary asks: "How do I get better at holding my team accountable? Most of my team members are great and do what they're supposed to do, but some are falling behind. Don't hit deadlines or just simply space out. How do I hold team members like that accountable? I don't want to feel like I'm micromanaging, but at the same time, I don't want to let it slide."

Understanding Accountability in Management

Omar begins by emphasizing the transition from solo entrepreneurship to team management:

Omar Zenhom [01:25]: "As a founder of a business, as you start hiring people, this is a skill you're going to need to build to hold people accountable. Because when you're doing everything yourself in the beginning, you hold yourself accountable, right?"

He highlights that accountability should be viewed as a coaching mechanism rather than a punitive measure. The goal is to guide team members towards continuous improvement, aligning their performance with the company's objectives.

Setting Clear Expectations

One of the foundational steps Omar recommends is establishing clear expectations from the outset:

Omar Zenhom [02:10]: "When I hire somebody, I let them know that as a part of our team, you will be coached. You need to buy into the fact that I'm going to try to make you better and better as a professional."

By clearly communicating the coaching and accountability framework during the hiring process, managers can ensure that team members understand the performance standards and the support they will receive to meet them.

Proactive Coaching and Immediate Action

Omar stresses the importance of addressing performance issues promptly to prevent them from escalating:

Omar Zenhom [03:15]: "Having said that, every time you feel like somebody is not doing their job properly ... you should see this as a teaching moment, as a coaching moment, a chance to talk to them. It's an opportunity, and you don't want to waste this opportunity, and you don't want to let it slide."

He shares a practical example from his own experience, where a team member's tardiness was addressed during a meeting without singling them out, reinforcing team-wide standards in a non-confrontational manner.

One-on-One Accountability Conversations

For more sensitive or recurring issues, Omar recommends private discussions:

Omar Zenhom [04:20]: "Sometimes you're gonna have to take a teaching moment or a chance to hold somebody accountable one on one, privately. ... I like to do a praise sandwich, which means, you know, you say something positive or you say, hey, you did this right? ... but then I say, this is where you need to improve."

The "praise sandwich" technique involves starting with positive feedback, addressing the area needing improvement, and concluding with encouragement. This approach maintains a respectful and constructive dialogue, fostering a supportive atmosphere for growth.

Establishing and Reviewing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Omar underscores the necessity of objective criteria in evaluating performance:

Omar Zenhom [05:05]: "In the long term, you should have some sort of accountability and evaluations for your team. ... They should know what questions will be on the exam, so to speak."

By setting clear KPIs during the onboarding process and regularly reviewing them, managers can provide transparent and fair assessments of each team member's performance, minimizing surprises during evaluations.

Long-Term Benefits of Accountability

Investing in accountability practices not only addresses immediate performance issues but also cultivates a culture of responsibility and continuous improvement:

Omar Zenhom [12:30]: "Managing people, holding people accountable on your team, it actually gets easier over time because they'll see you do this with others, they'll get the message and just self correct. And momentum starts to build in your team."

As team members witness consistent accountability measures, they begin to internalize these standards, leading to self-regulation and enhanced overall team dynamics.

Conclusion

Omar Zenhom wraps up the episode by reinforcing the pivotal role of accountability in team management:

Omar Zenhom [12:50]: "Don't worry. You're investing in your team, you're investing in your company culture so that you can get the results you're looking for."

He encourages managers to view accountability as an investment in their team's growth and the company's success, assuring that with time and consistent effort, maintaining accountability becomes an integral and seamless part of the organizational culture.

Key Takeaways

• Define Clear Expectations: Communicate performance standards and accountability mechanisms during the hiring process.

• View Accountability as Coaching: Encourage continuous improvement rather than using a punitive approach.

• Act Promptly on Issues: Address performance lapses immediately to prevent escalation.

• Utilize Constructive Feedback Techniques: Implement methods like the praise sandwich to maintain positive relationships while addressing shortcomings.

• Establish Objective Performance Metrics: Use KPIs to provide transparent and fair evaluations.

• Foster a Culture of Accountability: Consistent application of accountability measures leads to self-regulation and improved team dynamics over time.

Final Thoughts

This episode of The $100 MBA Show serves as a valuable resource for entrepreneurs and managers aiming to enhance their leadership skills. Omar Zenhom's practical advice and relatable examples offer a roadmap for effectively holding team members accountable, ultimately driving both individual and organizational success.

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Narrator]

It looks like Jim from sales just got in from his client lunch and he's got receipts.

His next meeting is in two minutes. The team is asking can he get through his expenses in that time?

He's going for it.

Is that his phone?

He's snapping a pick. He's texting round.

Jim is fast, but this is unheard of.

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[Mint Mobile Announcer]

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[Omar Zenhom]

Hey, welcome to the $100 NBA show where your business gets better with every episode. I'm your host, your coach, your teacher, Omar Zenholm. I'm also the co founder of Webinar Ninja, an independent software company I started back in 2014. And today's episode is Q and A Wednesday. On Q and A Wednesdays, we answer a question from one of you, one of our listeners. If you got a question you want to ask, go ahead and email me over at omar100, mba.net. today's question is from Gary. And Gary asks, how do I get better at holding my team accountable? Most of my team members are great and do what they're supposed to do, but some are falling behind. Don't hit deadlines or just simply space out. How do I hold team members like that accountable? I don't want to feel like I'm micromanaging, but at the same time, I don't want to let it slide. This is a great question from Gary because as a founder of a business, as you start hiring people, this is a skill you're going to need to build to hold people accountable. Because when you're doing everything yourself in the beginning, you hold yourself accountable, right? You know what to expect from yourself. But as you start hiring people, you start to realize, wow, not everybody's like me. Some people need to be managed in different ways. And the thing about accountability is that it's a very slippery slope. You got to nip it in the bud before it gets worse. And I'm going to show you some strategies, some techniques that you can use in your own business, with your own team, how to hold your team accountable without it being so confrontational, without you feeling like you're micromanaging them, but rather coaching them. We'll also talk about what happens if you don't do this. It can get a lot worse than you think. So let's get into it. Let's get down to business. Whenever you're managing anybody, your job is not only to make sure that they do their job and they do their work and they hit their KPIs and all that. Your job is actually to make sure they're doing their best, that you're getting the best out of them, that they're actually getting better and better under your management, under your leadership. So holding people accountable is more like coaching people. So one of the things I like to do is when I hire somebody, I let them know that as a part of our team, you will be coached. You need to buy into the fact that I'm going to try to make you better and better as a professional. Are you in? If so, sign the contract and let's get started. They need to understand that this is the nature of working for you. I'm going to give you the resources, I'm going to let you do your thing. But if I need to coach you along the way, hold you accountable, then I'm going to do that. That's my duty. That's our agreement. Now, just because you didn't do this when you hired somebody doesn't mean you can't do it now. And you could just tell your whole team in your next all hands and just be upfront, hey, I want to do better as a manager. I want to make sure that I'm coaching you, making you better, investing in you. Because when you get better, the company gets better, your job satisfaction goes up. It's a win win for everybody. So what we want to make sure here is we address the concept of holding people accountable with our team members so we get buy in first. And it sets expectations. They know that this is happening before it actually happens. So when you do talk to them, they know where this is coming from. Now, having said that, every time you feel like somebody is not doing their job properly or maybe is not doing at the standard they should, you should see this as a teaching moment, as a coaching moment, a chance to talk to them. About how they can get better. It's an opportunity, and you don't want to waste this opportunity, and you don't want it to let it slide. Because by letting it slide, you are telling not only that employee that, hey, this is okay, and the way you handled this was perfectly fine. You're also telling everybody else on the team that what they did is fine. Remember, your team is not only watching what you do, but what you don't do. So seek out these opportunities, and in most cases, you can actually make it sort of like a group coaching situation. For example, just recently, I was running a meeting with a department in my team, and somebody on that meeting, one of my team members, showed up late. It was like five minutes late. And we have a very strict policy. We want to make sure we start on time so we can end on time. We want to respect everybody's time, and that means showing up early, if anything, to make sure you're not late. So when this person showed up late, they had a reason why they're late. But regardless of the reason, okay, they are late. Okay. And I just made it a teaching moment. Hey, team, I know that sometimes things happen, but let's make sure that we are here early so we're not late. We want to start on time no matter what. I'm not calling this person out by name.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'm.

[Omar Zenhom]

But it's a general reminder. People kind of know what happened. And I say it with a smile, say it in a friendly way, but I have to address it. I have to hold them accountable. If we have a policy in the team that you gotta show up to meetings on time and somebody doesn't show up on time and I don't do anything, the policy means you can be late. That's the real rule, right? Reality is the real rule. Now, sometimes you're gonna have to take a teaching moment or a chance to hold somebody accountable one on one, privately. And this could be very simple, where it's just like you send them a private. Ping a message and say, hey, can we jump on a quick call? Five minutes max. You get on a call and you just. Just be honest with them and just say, hey, I noticed this happened 1, 2, 3, 4. Now I like to do a praise sandwich, which means, you know, you say something positive or you say, hey, you did this right? This was good. But then I say, this is where you need to improve. This is where we need to correct you. This is where I got to hold you accountable. You missed the mark here. And then I close off and Say, hey, thank you for taking the time to talk to me. This shows maturity. This shows that you are a learner. It shows that you want to grow again. I sandwich it with positivity and then I end the call by saying, hey, how about we circle back about two weeks to see how we're going. This means we're not just going to forget this. That means that in two weeks we're going to see your progress. You need to understand that you're taking this seriously and that you are expecting them to perform. That's the deal, guys. As a business owner, you have a duty to your customers to perform at your best. That includes everybody on our team. So you gotta hold them accountable and say, hey, I need everybody to be their best so I can do my duty to serve our customers. Don't let things slide. Do them just in time and you nip things in the bud before things get worse. Because the more time that goes on, the more the problems compound, the harder it is for you to correct it. And what happens is then the rift becomes so bad that either they quit or you fire. And it. It's not a great place to be. You could have saved the situation if you actually acted quickly. This episode is brought to you by the Jordan Harbinger Show. This is a podcast you need to add to your rotation. It's smart, it's interesting, and it's by far, in my opinion, the best interview podcast out there. It's hosted by my buddy, Jordan Harbinger. I've known him for years, and in a lot of ways, I look up to Jordan. He's one of the best podcasters I know because he does his research. His episodes are really well done. He asks his guests questions that other shows just don't ask. It's almost like he's predicting what I want to hear from the guests and what I would ask him if I was in front of him. The Jordan Harbinger show won Best of Apple in 2018, and it's for good reason. Let me give you some of my favorite episodes to get started with. I absolutely love his interview with T. Pain the rapper. It's more than meets the eye. It's hilarious, and such an education on how to live life. His interview with Matthew McConaughey was incredible, as well as his chat with Terry Crews. I also love his Sunday episodes. They're called Skeptical Sundays. The one he did on 5G was so, so good. I'm a huge fan of the Jordan Harbinger show and Jordan himself. You can't go Wrong. By adding Jordan Harbinger show to your rotation. It's incredibly interesting. It's never dull. Search the Jordan Harbinger show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Here's the truth.

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[Narrator]

It looks like Jim from sales just got in from his client lunch and he's got receipts.

His next meeting is in two minutes. The team is asking, can he get through his expenses in that time?

He's going for it.

Is that his phone?

He's snapping a pic.

He's texting Ramp Jim is fast, but this is unheard of.

That's it. He's done it. It's unbelievable.

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

On ramp expenses are faster than ever. Just submit them with a text. Switch your business to ramp.com.

[Omar Zenhom]

The reality of business and when you have employees, when you have team members, is they are waiting for you. They're looking to you for leadership, for management. If you don't tell them what to do and how to do it and they do something wrong, that's on you. You gotta train them. You gotta show them they're waiting for direction. You hired them, right? You thought that you had skills. You thought that they had the potential and the ability. Now you got to show them. You got to show them what you expect. Show them how to do it. And when they don't do it, you tell them. When they're not doing it, hey, this is not what you're supposed to be doing. Just like a coach would do. Just say, I was a ski instructor and I see somebody doing something wrong, there's something wrong with their form. I say, hey, no, no, no, you're doing this wrong. Do it like this. Oh, yeah, Okay, I don't see it. And the best thing about this is that one day, one of these people that you're coaching will be a manager. You're going to promote them one day and, and they're going to learn how to manage through you managing them. They're going to say, oh, that's how I was managed. I learned from my manager, now I know how to manage others. And therefore your investment pays dividends on and on and on. This is the daily practice. But overall, in the long term, you should have some sort of accountability and evaluations for your team. Whether it's once a year or every six months where your team members have to hit certain KPIs, there's gotta be a minimum of key performance indicators that they got a hit. And you should let them know what they are when they get hired so they know what they're going to be evaluated on at the end of their year. Shouldn't be a surprise. They should know what questions will be on the exam, so to speak. This allows them to understand that they're being evaluated and held accountable on objective criteria, criteria that they know about. And we like to review the KPIs with the team members when they get started so they agree, yeah, this is fair, I can do this, this makes sense so that when they are evaluated, they kind of understand, hey, that's fair game. I understand that they expect this from me and I should be delivering at this level. All in all, if you see yourself as a coach, you see yourself somebody who is supposed to always put them back on track and seek out opportunities to do so. You're going to be alright. Gary, thanks so much for asking today's Q and A Wednesday's question. If you've got a question you want to ask, go ahead and email me over@omar mba.net and I'll make sure to answer right here on Q and A Wednesday. If you're listening right now and you love this show, hit subscribe, hit follow on your favorite podcast app right now. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, it doesn't matter, go ahead and hit follow or subscribe. So you get our next episode automatically and you have access to over 2,300 episodes in our archives. Before I go, I want to leave you with this. Managing people, holding people accountable on your team, it actually gets easier over time because they'll see you do this with others, they'll get the message and just self correct. And momentum starts to build in your team. And the team members talk, right? They talk to each other, hey, you should do this because this is what they expect. I went through this before. So as time goes on, as you get more and more team members to join, it gets easier and easier. Don't worry. You're investing in your team, you're investing in your company culture so that you can get the results you're looking for. Thanks so much for listening to the $100 MBA show. I will check you in the next episode on Friday. I'll see you then. Take care.

[Narrator]

And we're back, folks. It looks like Jim from sales just got in from his client lunch and he's got receipts.

His next meeting is in two minutes. The team is asking, can he get through his expenses in that time?

He's going for it.

Is that his phone?

He's snapping a pic. He's texting Ramp.

Jim is fast, but this is unheard of.

That's it. He's done it. It's unbelievable.

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

On Ramp, expenses are faster than ever. Just submit them with a text. Switch your business to ramp.com.