How to Hold Your Direct Reports Accountable for SMEs using 1:1 Check Ins
For Leadership teams to Implement and Demonstrate Accountability in your daily operations, and Resolve Accountability issues.
From observing and working closely with 30+ SMEs in the last few years, “Accountability” is one of the most common issues I see at all levels of management.
Many Directors and Managers are lost or shy away from managing Accountability, either because they don't want to be seen as 'harsh', or want to avoid conflicts.
This is a HUGE problem because there are so many accountability issues in SME teams, that get swept under the carpet, get bottled up, fester, and eventually erupt into an explosive situation!
Just take a look at the table below for some real life examples of Accountability issues, and the knock on impact they can have on your business.
Many Directors and Managers are lost or shy away from managing Accountability, either because they don't want to be seen as 'harsh', or want to avoid conflicts.
This is a HUGE problem because there are so many accountability issues in SME teams, that get swept under the carpet, get bottled up, fester, and eventually erupt into an explosive situation!
Just take a look at the table below for some real life examples of Accountability issues, and the knock on impact they can have on your business.
| S/N | Accountability Issue | Example | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missing Deadlines and Blaming Others | An employee consistently fails to meet a task or a NBD/A deadlines, attributing the delays to team members or outside factors. For instance, they might claim a coworker didn’t provide necessary information on time, even though they never requested it or followed up. | This behaviour has caused frustration among team members, disrupt project and operational timelines, and lead to a culture of blaming rather than problem-solving. |
| 2 | Not Admitting Mistakes | An employee makes an error, such as a financial analyst miscalculating budget figures, but instead of owning up to it, they attempt to cover it up. This results in discrepancies that go unnoticed until it causes bigger issues. | Failing to admit mistakes has led to significant financial and operational challenges, eroding trust within the team and her manager and harmed the company’s financial situation and reputation. |
| 3 | Ignoring Feedback | An employee receives constructive feedback from a Manager indicating that he was disrespectful to a client. He need to improve his interaction skills, apply the company’s core values of being respectful and professional in all communication channels. Instead of acting on the feedback, he dismiss it as irrelevant and continue with his ineffective approach. | Ignoring feedback prevents personal and professional growth, negatively impacts performance, and has led to lower team morale if others see that accountability is not valued and the manager did nothing further, when the employee is persistent in his poor behaviour. After no changes for 1 year, high-performers in the company started to leave, leaving the organisation with poor performers. |
| 4 | Shifting Responsibilities | A manager delegates their own responsibilities to team members without justification. For instance, they assign their own reporting tasks to junior staff, claiming they are too busy with other tasks/projects. | This behaviour has led to burnout among team members, created resentment, and disrupted workflows, and reporting hierarchy. It undermines trust in leadership when accountability isn’t displayed. |
| 5 | Making Excuses | An employee consistently misses deadlines, citing “unexpected firefighting” issues without providing any proof and without prior communication about these issues. They fail to plan or seek help when necessary. | Making excuses instead of taking responsibility has led to operational and project delays, reduced productivity, and a lack of accountability culture in the team. It created dissatisfaction and unfairness among colleagues who consistently meet their responsibilities. |
These problems are enlarged when you don't have an objective, step-by-step process to handle Accountability issues.
For example, many of my SME clients I worked with thought that holding people accountable means imposing punishments. But, that's only consequence management, which is just one part of Accountability management!
So, if any of the above resonates with you, and you want a planned approach that removes emotions from holding your employees accountable - fill in the form below to get my 1:1 Accountability Guide.
For example, many of my SME clients I worked with thought that holding people accountable means imposing punishments. But, that's only consequence management, which is just one part of Accountability management!
So, if any of the above resonates with you, and you want a planned approach that removes emotions from holding your employees accountable - fill in the form below to get my 1:1 Accountability Guide.
