Why Teams Won’t Take Responsibility
Copyright 2006 Colleen Kettenhofen
“If you have a job without aggravation, you don’t have a
job.†Malcolm Forbes
Teams need to have reasons for taking responsibility. They
also need to be given the authority to act on the
responsibilities handed down to them. And they need to have
consequences if those goals are not met. It would be nice
to think everyone is motivated to be an exceptional
employee strictly out of personal integrity. And in many
instances that is the case, but not always.
Are you sure everyone on the team understands their
individual roles, goals and objectives? In my team building
seminars, team members often confide to me they don’t know
exactly what their job responsibilities are, or even the
main goals of their organization. Has it been clearly
explained to them what their job responsibilities are, and
where that fits in with the organization’s big picture
objectives? Has each team member participated in leadership
and team building seminars? Do they walk away with action
plans for accountability? Is this information specific,
measurable and in writing?
By having quantifiable goals in writing, it makes it harder
for the underperformer to be able to say, “Well, you’re
just picking on me.†No, you’re not picking on them. Not if
you’ve made their responsibilities clear, measurable, and
in writing. And not if they’ve been properly trained and
given authority to take initiatives and responsibilities.
Good managers and team leaders understand the importance of
explaining the mission/purpose of their organization, and
where each individual fits in.
So what are the reasons teams don’t want to take
responsibility? In conducting team building seminars
worldwide over the past decade, I pose this question every
day to team leaders and managers, as well as team members.
Here are the 12 most common reasons (not in any particular
order) I hear over and over for why teams won’t take
responsibility.
1. Weak leadership.
2. Not being specific with each team member’s
responsibilities. No clear goals or objectives in writing.
3. Lack of skill or possessing a negative attitude on the
part of a team member. Sometimes that person won’t even
admit it.
4. Too many people with similar leadership styles. For
example, too many “drivers†who each want total control.
Or, too many “relaters,†those who are very people
oriented, or who are not task oriented enough.
5. Fear of failure.
6. The “I don’t get paid enough to worry about that†type
of mentality.
7. They don’t get along as a team.
8. Some just don’t want the responsibility. They simply
don’t want to do the work.
9. Attendance problems or team members who aren’t
dependable. For example, a team member who doesn’t show up,
and may not even call in sick right away.
10. Loss of focus, lack of direction.
11. The excuse, “I’m in a union and it’s not in my job
description.â€
12. Lack of training. Both training in the area of hard
skills as well as conflict resolution/communication, and
team building seminars.
Look closely at number one. It says “weak leadership.â€Â The
number one reason I hear from my participants in team
building seminars for why teams won’t take responsibility
is “weak leadership.†And this answer FREQUENTLY comes from
team leaders themselves in evaluating their own managers!
Many of these managers serve as team members and report to
leaders of their own. They tell me the number one trait
they want to see to willingly WANT to follow their leader
is honesty. Someone who does what they say they’re going to
do. The leaders and managers they dislike most are those
with the “do as I say not as I do†mentality. Do people
willingly want to follow you as their leader? The key word
here is “willingly.â€
If you are the team leader or manager, are you an effective
communicator? Has everyone been properly trained in “hard
skills,†as well as in communication and conflict
resolution? Is everyone clear in knowing that they are held
accountable for performing their tasks effectively? Have
they been coached to think of themselves as a team in that
they perceive team welfare as a priority?
Teams need to have reasons, measurable goals, and clear
deadlines for doing something. And teams need rewards for
exemplary performance. They also need consequences for
failing to accept responsibility. Make certain they have
yearly performance reviews, or reviews every six months.
What gets measured gets done.
In my team building seminars, I notice more organizations
conducting performance reviews every six months instead of
yearly. The benefit to managers as well as team members is
more face-to-face contact regarding the objectives on a
more frequent basis. And, if you have union employees and
must disregard any record of underperformance after a year
or so, consider writing this information into their
performance review. Performance reviews follow an employee.
“Like begets like, honesty begets honesty; trust, trust,
and so on.†James F. Bell
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Colleen Kettenhofen is a motivational speaker, workplace
expert, & co-author of “The Masters of Success,” as
featured on the Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and
Jack Canfield. To order the book, or for more free
articles and e-newsletter visit
http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com or call (800)323-0683. Topics:
leadership, management, difficult people, public speaking,
success. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout
sessions and seminars.
http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com
