Creating Responsible Employees

December 6th, 2005

I recently had lunch with a buddy of who wondered out loud why her employees didn’t always respond to her constant requests for them to take action and be responsible. “They just don’t follow instructions. Why is it so hard for them to be responsible?” My response was “Maybe they aren’t getting what they need from you, maybe they’re missing the why“. “Why!” she said. “The only why they need is that I said so, I’m the boss, this isn’t management by committee!” That’s true but when people are given tasks without a clear direction or purpose they sometimes express their confusion through resistance. You could compel them to do it; and sometimes you have to; or you can have people do things because they are committed.

As a manager it is easy to give out orders and delegate tasks. The hardest part is developing people. Here are some observations I have made on creating an environment in which employees are more likely to behave responsibly:

Give Them Something To Commit To

Create a Clear Sense of Direction.
Make working for your department/division/company a sense of pride.
Match skills to the right job and make it challenging and meaningful.
Be their lead blocker – identify problems that impede and prevent good results.

Make Sure They Understand What They Need To Accomplish

Make sure employees understand their job, how they will be judged and the criteria for success- and failure.
Make sure employees understand how their job, its activities and outcomes affect the company.
Provide the tools and resources they need.
Do you recognize your employees?
Encourage results – reward them.
Do your employees know what they need to do to participate in rewards?

There is an old saying that says “Generals do not win battles, their soliders do.” When you don’t give your team the right tools it has a demotivating effect that can cause people to leave or worse stay and become disengaged.

Comments for “Creating Responsible Employees”

Chris Risen

December 6th, 2005

Great points all around. What I take away from ‘Creating Responsible Employees’ is that it starts at the top of the company. I’m not referring to the owner, president, vice president, etc. I’m referring to the leader(s). The leader(s) can be the owner, president, etc. However, an owner, president, etc. can be just that, a person with a title. There is a clear difference between 1. a manager - one who simply manages people, problems, processes and 2. a leader - one who provides direction and develops people. I like to think of leaders as people that are capable of extracting what’s needed out of others for personal growth, accomplishment, or the achievement of a common goal. It goes without saying but can’t be expressed enough…Leadership is vital to the success of any business.

Barbara Aquino

December 15th, 2005

I agree.. Out of the 4 functions of management, I believe Leading is the hardest one to learn and not many managers posess this skill. I also feel that trust and respect towards employees play a big part in creating responsible employees. This is definitely not done by ordering people around. You will have employees who will want to put in the extra effort and perform better for you.

Grayson De Ritis

December 15th, 2005

Fabulous blog entry here, Kelsey. Chris made what I feel is a great comment, in follow-up.

There is indeed quite a difference between just managing, and truly leading, as I have witnessed and experienced throughough my years as a working person; a student, and a competitor.

Whenever I find myself in a position to act as a manager in my other endeavours outside of my current job, no matter the level of the project, I participate and project myself, as part of the team. Although a manager does indeed almost always have inherent authority over those lower on the totem pole, I have found that success has come more often and in bigger ways when management believes in and acts upon the same methods you have mentioned here in this post.

With micro-managing teammates and projecting a sense of no return on investment of time and concentrated effort, a serious disconnect is birthed and almost always ultimately snuffs out a significant amount of potential success.

At this point in my life, I am lucky to have met and worked with some great leaders, and am currently involved with some quality projects. As I am one to always better myself, I find that I am gravitating more heavily, and quicker to those who truly lead; because I am able to recognize them from the get-go.

The Moleskin » 5 Sins of the Career Web Professional

March 22nd, 2006

[…] Remember the last time you worked really well with someone? It probably required a lot of communication and cooperation. If you have a problem you owe it to yourself to address it before sin #2 takes hold. A lot of times simply communicating a problem or feeling that you are having can make a world of difference. If you don’t address it sometimes it will lead you down a path that you otherwise would have avoided. There are also some distinct responsibilities that you have must honor as a manager and a leader if you want your employees to honor this partnership. […]

99 Ways to Become a Better Leader | streaminterviews.com

July 12th, 2007

[…] 55. Create responsible employees, but also be responsible for their actions. […]