You Can't Deny Accountability  
DEFINE IT TO ENHANCE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

Public agencies are under increased pressure to be accountable to their constituents. Residents, business owners, parents, customers, and the media are increasingly scrutinizing the use of public funds, and that includes the cost of human resources.

In most agencies, one of the largest expenditures of public funds is for personnel. Public employee wages, benefits, and pension costs are under a microscope and the most responsible agencies are responding with an enhanced focus on accountability. Revised personnel rules, sharpened performance evaluations systems, and increased consequences for under-performers have become the norm in our world. For example, the State of Arizona legislature has recently passed reforms to the State personnel system and has mandated revised performance evaluation processes for public school teachers. Accountability is the buzzword of our era.

Still, accountability means different things to different people. Though everyone agrees that accountability is a good thing, there are often different answers to some basic questions. For example:

* If teamwork and collaboration are values of your organization and an employee is struggling to get along with co-workers, can the employee qualify for an overall performance rating of "Successful?"

* If an employee is being paid at the top of the pay range and recent market studies have shown that the employee's compensation is 20% above the market, is the organization being accountable by maintaining the above-market wage?

* If a supervisor knows that an employee is running a "side business" during his at-home telecommuting days and the supervisor knowingly ignores the issue, who is ultimately accountable for the theft of time?

Each of these questions reflect actual situations I've seen within the last few months and in each case, someone in the room attempted to explain, justify, rationalize, or otherwise defend each situation.

If you've found yourself justifying why things are the way they are, you might be denying accountability too. Here are a few steps for making sure you are driving your organization towards accountability:

1. Recognize the need to shift to a culture of enhanced
    accountability. As you work through your day-to-day activities, be
    aware of how you and your staff are being asked to be more
    accountable. Embrace it.

2. Refocus and re-communicate the core mission of your
    organization. Being accountable means that you have a laser focus on
    your mission and why your organization exists.  When the mission is
    not crystal clear, it's easy to get distracted by bureaucracy.

3. Define and clearly express performance expectations that
    support the mission. The more specific you can be about what's
    expected and then address any gaps between the expected and actual
    performance, the quicker the organization will adapt to your
    expectations.

4. Design performance management systems to reward those who
    support the mission and stop rewarding those who are not
    contributing. Your performance management system should reinforce
    what's important in your agency, rather than rewarding non
    performance.  What's rewarded in your agency?

Accountability in today's environment can be difficult to define. It can also be difficult to move towards. But, the power of accountability is undeniable.  

Arizona State University features Painless Performance Management
LOW COST TRAINING RESOURCE

Final Footnotes 
NEWS & EVENTS FROM MARNIE

It's been six years since the release of Painless Performance Evaluations. Shortly after the book was released I realized that while evaluations are painful for managers, the real pain is in the conversation. Managers need support in leading meaningful performance conversations that they would prefer to avoid.  

In response to this need I'm excited to announce that Painless Performance Conversations will be published by John Wiley & Sons and will be released in the spring of 2013.  

Thank you to the many colleagues and clients who have contributed to the development of this material. Stay tuned for more information. I can't wait for you to see it!

As always, I'm committed to continue providing you with the most practical, timely tools for becoming a confident leader.  Please contact me if I can be of any assistance.