…the phone goes quiet, your blood pressure is through the roof, and the last thing your top customer said before hanging up on you was “I cant use any of these shirts, they are all wrong!”
This is something that i’m sure hits home with a handful of print shops. And if it doesn’t, count your blessings.
If this has happened to you, or your shop, what was the next action? Was it slamming the phone down and screaming a slur of expletives and looking for who you can blame? Was is calling an emergency meeting with all the department heads immediately to figure out “who didnt do their job?” Or, was it first looking at yourself as the first step of accountability and seeing what it is that let the issue slip through and get to the customer?
If you said the last one, well you’re probably lying (kidding), but you are for sure the minority in this (and a better person than I was the first few times I had that call)
Human instinct in these types of situations is to look toward placing blame wherever you can and trying to fix the issue at hand, when in all actuality, that will only MAYBE resolve that particular “mistake” but often times leaves the actual reasoning un-identified and open for more issues to occur. This is where I like to look at accountability much more than fault. In our world we often feel that if its “not my fault” that its not something that needs to have your attention, however being at fault and being ACCOUNTABLE are two very different things. Although a particular member of the team may make the initial mistake that is the focus, it is all parts of the company that are accountable. Teaching team accountability and working toward accepting accountability instead of looking for fault is how some of the most successful companies reach peak performance and quality.
There are a few key points to creating a culture of accountability in your shop, although some of these might seem obvious, its important to understand importance of each and to thoroughly work at them.
1: Accountability starts with you.
I know, this is one of those “yeh ok” moments, but seriously you have to talk the talk and walk the walk if you want to create a culture of accountability. Good leadership isn’t only taking the wins, but owning the losses. If you are the first person to take accountability for something that your team has done incorrectly, it will show them that you are a person of integrity and that you actually care about not only the outcome, but the processes as well. Setting the bar for how to accept and take ownership on accountability will ensure that the team begins to follow you down the accountability path.
2: accountability Is a constant and doesn’t have favorites.
Consistency in the workplace (and everywhere for that matter) allows for a more open dialogue. If someone is erratic and no one can tell what side of the bed they are gonna wake up on that day, well..it will tarnish the ability to have open and honest talks to help with creating that culture you want. You have to remain constant in how you act and respond and show leadership. If someone makes a mistake, you don’t want them trying to hide from you, you want them to own it, and come to you with it.
This also means that you cant have different levels of accountability, its not a tiered system. You have to hold clear and honest accountability from the top down. If your team see’s you not holding someone accountable when you should, it will start to create a rift in the culture and people will become resentful. Accountability really is All or nothing.
3: accountability cant be assigned.
Telling someone they are accountable is not enough. You need to make sure they have all they need to be set up for success. If you work to empower people and make sure they have the tools they need and clear written expectations, they can take it on themselves to adopt true accountability. Simply asking them if they have everything they need , and them responding “yes” or “no”, is the first step of them accepting their accountability. Frequently this will catch where there may be some breakdown in communication or processes. Work with them to see if they have specific questions or doubts. Finding the small holes and gaps that may be easily overlooked by some, can make all the difference in them taking pride in their role.
4: accountability creates solutions.
A team of people that have real accountability will recognize mistakes and work toward solutions, where a team of people without proper accountability will begin to sit back and watch problem occur. You will here things like “i told you so” or “well I wasnt trained right.” Who’s heard that one? Im sure i’m not the only one that has had an employee say that. And heres the thing, in most cases…they are right, a pain in the butt, but right. Having clean and clear processes and expectations is the only way to avoid hearing those dreaded sayings.
5: Culture of Accountability
Open dialogue and good reviews are critical to keeping an organizations accountability. Having performance reviews and regular team and individual check-ins, will allow for the players of the team to voice where there concerns are, find gaps in systems, and allow you to provide support when things are going awry.
I ask shops that I visit when the last time they did check ins with people in their departments, and too often it is; “uhh….last year. We have been too busy for me to stop my workflow and do those as often as I would like to”. Well, thats wrong. As a manager, it is your job to make sure your team is operating as optimally as possible. Do you have a job description for yourself, who holds you accountable if its not you? See..it starts from the top. Making sure to check your own accountability in reviews with yourself is also very crucial to keep on track and making sure you are advancing your team.
Now that we have gone over the starting points to creating a culture of accountability , you can start fine tuning the specifics of what you need from each of your departments. In my next few blog articles, i will be diving into different types of forms and stop-gaps you can utilize in your processes to help create safety nets to catch mistakes as they will inevitably naturally occur.
Stay tuned and Keep on Ink’n!
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