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[Audiobook] Workplace Essentials | Responsibility in the Workplace
What if taking responsibility at work could revolutionize your career and transform your organization? In this episode, we promise to uncover the secrets behind the accountability ladder—a powerful tool that measures and enhances employee accountability. We'll guide you through each rung, from being unaware to becoming proactive, and demonstrate how taking ownership, avoiding excuses, and finding effective solutions can elevate not just individual performance, but the entire workplace dynamic.
Get ready to hear Amanda's compelling board presentation that underscores the essential role of responsible employees. Discover how responsible management can create a culture of accountability that boosts teamwork, builds trust, and drives business success. We'll reveal the traits that define responsible individuals—humility, transparency, promise-keeping, and proactivity—and show how these qualities contribute to a more ethical and efficient workplace.
Finally, we'll explore practical strategies for enhancing employee responsibility through effective communication, incentive programs, and cutting-edge accountability software tools like WorkZone, Jira, Samepage, and ProWorkflow. You'll gain insights into the detrimental effects of irresponsibility and learn the importance of regular recognition and addressing issues head-on. Don't miss our reflections on personal accountability with wisdom from historical and contemporary figures, highlighting that true happiness comes from embracing total responsibility for every aspect of our lives. Join us for an enlightening discussion aimed at fostering a culture of responsibility and ownership in your workplace.
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
What if taking responsibility at work could revolutionize your career and transform your organization? In this episode, we promise to uncover the secrets behind the accountability ladder—a powerful tool that measures and enhances employee accountability. We'll guide you through each rung, from being unaware to becoming proactive, and demonstrate how taking ownership, avoiding excuses, and finding effective solutions can elevate not just individual performance, but the entire workplace dynamic.
Get ready to hear Amanda's compelling board presentation that underscores the essential role of responsible employees. Discover how responsible management can create a culture of accountability that boosts teamwork, builds trust, and drives business success. We'll reveal the traits that define responsible individuals—humility, transparency, promise-keeping, and proactivity—and show how these qualities contribute to a more ethical and efficient workplace.
Finally, we'll explore practical strategies for enhancing employee responsibility through effective communication, incentive programs, and cutting-edge accountability software tools like WorkZone, Jira, Samepage, and ProWorkflow. You'll gain insights into the detrimental effects of irresponsibility and learn the importance of regular recognition and addressing issues head-on. Don't miss our reflections on personal accountability with wisdom from historical and contemporary figures, highlighting that true happiness comes from embracing total responsibility for every aspect of our lives. Join us for an enlightening discussion aimed at fostering a culture of responsibility and ownership in your workplace.
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
Responsibility in the Workplace. Module 1. Getting Started. Welcome to the Responsibility in the Workplace workshop. One of the most critical traits to look for in an employee is responsibility. Responsible employees drive the success of an organization, whether for profit or not for profit. This workshop will introduce to you the idea of responsibility and the traits that define a responsible employee. It will also show the effects of having responsible employees versus irresponsible employees. And finally, the workshop will cover the steps to becoming more responsible.
Speaker 1:Module 2. Accountability Ladder. Accountability is the responsibility of all employees in an organization, not just the management team. One question that all individuals need to ask themselves is what is my own level of accountability at work and how is this measured? The accountability ladder is a tool that is used to demonstrate levels of accountability in individuals. This example of a ladder usually shows nine rungs of accountability that range from an unaccountable level of unaware of a situation to an accountable level of make it happen. Not every employee has the same definition of accountability. Not every employee has the same standards of accountability for themselves in the workplace. The reality is that most people have not reached the highest rung of the accountability ladder and could improve in at least one area in the workplace. Rate yourself on the following scale of accountability when an issue arises in the workplace, your response is unaware of the issue, blame others, personal excuses. I can't Wait and hope. Acknowledge reality, embrace it, find solutions, make it happen. The bottom half of the accountability ladder represents those who are in victim mode. Everything is someone or something else's fault. The top half of the ladder is where accountability begins and grows.
Speaker 1:Taking ownership of one's decisions and actions is one of the first steps to becoming more accountable. Taking ownership in the workplace means not making excuses, not complaining about the circumstances, not blaming others. Taking ownership means taking responsibility for one's own actions, one's own decisions, one's own production results. The next step to accountability is to use the tools and accepted resolutions to correct the mistake that was made. This does not mean that you fix the problem and not take ownership of the mistake. An accountable employee will instead identify that they made a mistake, own it and apply the correct solutions to the problem. A manager will be much more receptive to the mistake when it has been corrected appropriately by the employee. A manager will put more trust into an employee that can admit their mistakes and fix the issue without having to be instructed to take action. The top rung of the ladder is to make it happen.
Speaker 1:Total accountability for an employee is defined as the employee that cares about the company and its success. This employee goes above and beyond their work and does not expect praise and its success. This employee goes above and beyond their work and does not expect praise. A responsible employee feels satisfied by a task completed. An accountable employee finds a solution to a common issue and implements that solution. An accountable employee is always searching for an easier process, a faster route, some way to improve the tasks at hand. They get satisfaction not only by improving their tasks, but also in improving another team or department's work. Accountable employees are respected by all customers and co-workers alike, because the employee can be counted on in every situation. These employees have gained the trust of their co-workers and managers over time and are highly valued by the company.
Speaker 1:Steve is frustrated with the team's productivity. He calls his friend, bob, who is also a manager at a similar factory why can't my employees be responsible for their work? All I ever hear is that it isn't possible, it isn't their fault and all other excuses under the sun. Bob replies you know that there are a lot of unaccountable people in the world. Steve, you have to pick the right employees and then hold them accountable. Steve tells him that he wishes that he knew if the employee was accountable before he hired them. Bob asks him if he knows about the accountability ladder. Bob explains that the accountability ladder may be able to predict which applicants or employees have the potential to be accountable in the workplace. He tells Steve how the rungs of the ladder are levels of accountability. It starts with being unaware and ends, at the top, with making success happen. In between are rungs such as finding solutions and implementing solutions. Accountability starts with taking ownership. Bob sends Steve an email with an example of the accountability ladder, module 3.
Speaker 1:Examples of Responsibility. What is responsibility? The common definition of responsibility is usually having a duty or being in control over something or someone. Simply stated, responsibility means taking ownership of your actions and their outcomes. In the workplace, there are many responsibilities that each employee is required to achieve. Pursuit of responsibility will result in respect in the workplace. Understanding why a mistake happened in the first place is a good indicator of how to avoid them in the future. However, at the moment, finger pointing and playing the blame game accomplishes absolutely nothing. It does not solve the problem at hand and it portrays the employee in a poor light. Responsible employees do not make excuses and admit any mistakes that may have occurred. These employees do not blame others for their own actions. Admitting a mistake may take courage and may be difficult, but it must be done when appropriate to maintain accountability. Taking the initiative to speak up and own one's actions has more positive effects than negative effects.
Speaker 1:Another trait of a responsible employee is in their work ethic. A responsible employee arrives early each day and is prepared to work. This employee is not running in from the parking lot and clocking in a couple minutes late every day. Responsibility in an employee means that the employee is working when they are paid to work and not sitting in the break room or at a co-worker's station At 4.45 pm. Where are most employees? If it's close to quitting time? They are all probably not being very productive. Some are outside hiding, some are cleaning up in the break room. Responsible employees are completing their remaining tasks, looking forward to tomorrow's needs and cleaning up their own areas. For responsible employees, clocking out early is not an option unless told to do so by a supervisor. Dependability and responsibility go hand in hand.
Speaker 1:The importance of completing the work shift is critical to avoiding pre-shift or post-shift chaos and to improving productivity. A responsible employee will stand out above the rest on team projects. This employee knows that group projects are worthwhile and they understand how to utilize the team members' individual strengths to reach project potential. These are the leaders of the team and often are the ones to delegate the tasks. Responsible employees pull their own weight in regard to their share of the workload. Often, their work will be completed first and they may even take on some of their co-workers' share of the work to ensure the success of the workload. Often, their work will be completed first and they may even take on some of their co-workers' share of the work to ensure the success of the team. Many times, it will be this responsible employee completing the proofreading and editing of a report, while the less responsible team members wait for their turn to sign off on the final drafts.
Speaker 1:Deadlines are critical to responsible employees. The projected task deadline is important to the customer, it is important to management and it is important to the company's reputation. These are the reasons deadlines are set in stone and must be adhered to strictly by a responsible employee. They realize that there is more at stake than just a few hours behind a desk. Missing deadlines is something that is noticed by management and by the other team members. Less responsible employees may wait until the deadline date to hurriedly finish tasks. To be able to meet the deadlines that are required, responsible employees break down the larger tasks into smaller tasks and set deadlines for each step that will be needed. These more responsible employees check these milestones frequently to ensure that the progress is sufficient. Their behavior will be noticed by management and co-workers.
Speaker 1:May is preparing a presentation for the employees that have been newly hired by the company. This presentation is focused on the importance of responsibility in their work culture. She has asked Melissa to assist in preparing the posters that they will use in the presentation display. Melissa has a list that May is prepared for her to use as a checklist. Melissa starts making posters Later in the day. May collects all the information that will be used in tomorrow's onboarding. Melissa's posters are also in the supplies. May checks the poster information. The posters depict traits of a responsible employee, traits such as completing work shifts and meeting deadlines. Melissa has also included a poster on the importance of admitting one's mistake. It is critical to employee responsibility. Lastly, there is a wonderful poster encouraging the new hires to pull their own weight on their project teams and in their day-to-day work. May has everything she needs for the responsibility portion of the presentation Module 4.
Speaker 1:Importance the level of importance of having responsible employees in an organization is critical. One of the requirements that cannot be omitted in a successful group of people, no matter the size of the group, is responsibility. A responsible person has a very different work ethic and approach to life in general than people that are irresponsible. Responsible employees have many skills and traits that make them accountable for themselves and their actions. Here are some of the important qualities that make responsible employees so sought after by every organization.
Speaker 1:Work quality is the value of work provided by an individual or group. Generally speaking, work quality does have some criteria that span across every organization, regardless of the industry. Responsible employees possess work qualities that include Work is completed in a timely and efficient manner. Work completed requires little or no input from the team leader. Employee has confidence in the work produced. Employee generally has a good attitude.
Speaker 1:There is a difference between work quality and work productivity. Work productivity is the amount of work produced in a specific amount of time. The amount of work that can be produced by an employee has a direct correlation to the responsibility that employee feels in regard to the task. It is important to a responsible employee to achieve the expected production amount. Important to a responsible employee to achieve the expected production amount and then a little bit more. Responsible employees budget their time wisely and accomplish their tasks in a timely manner, often leaving more time to produce more work. These employees do not wait until the last minute to accomplish just enough work to be acceptable. They complete the tasks at hand and ask for more. Companies seek out highly productive employees because they get more output for the same wage amount.
Speaker 1:The term employee engagement is more of an HR term than an operations term. Like quality and productivity, it represents the amount of enthusiasm an employee has for their work and that they may have toward their workplace. Responsible employees will demonstrate a higher level of engagement. They are in tune with the responsibilities of their position and their tasks and know what is expected of them. They realize the importance of their attendance and of their completion of the tasks assigned to them. They respect the policies and procedures of the company and are educated on the company rules and regulations. Employees that are engaged have a genuine concern in the state of the business. They realize that their position depends on the success of the company. They realize that their less responsible co-workers waste company resources and make the entire team look bad.
Speaker 1:Workplace engagement is a reflection of a person's character. An employee's morale is defined as the amount of satisfaction that an employee gets from their job and their feelings concerning the workplace and work conditions. It is a mental attitude toward their job. An employee's morale weighs heavily on their productivity and quality of work. Low morale leads to poor work culture for the employees and will eventually result in increased employee turnover. Responsible employees usually have high morale and know that their efforts make a difference to the success of the company. These employees feel valued by their employers. They are confident in themselves, in their co-workers and in the future of the business that employs them.
Speaker 1:Jane and Gina are attending the new hire orientation at the office. They are on lunch break and eating sandwiches in the break room. Gina comments can you believe that they spent an hour talking about responsibility? Come on, we all know what responsibility means. Jane takes a drink of her soda, yeah, but there are a lot of irresponsible people in this world and, by the looks of those guys that were late, probably a good thing that they covered that subject. Huh. Gina agrees and goes on to say that she did learn a few things. Jane says yeah, we all know that it is responsible to do good quality work. Gina agrees yeah, and so is being productive while being on the clock. I really didn't think about it being a responsible thing to do by going to the team meetings and supporting the company. Jane is about to say something when the boss walks in the break room and supporting the company. Jane is about to say something when the boss walks in the break room.
Speaker 1:Module 5. Benefits. What is the benefit to seeking out employees that are responsible? Doesn't it seem like a lot of effort? Absolutely positively, no. It is a well-known fact that irresponsible management leads to organizational failure. Responsible management that cultivates successful performance in their employees promote the success of their business. Responsible employees are more cooperative in a team environment and are more engaged in improving the processes and results of their actions. Everyone wins when responsibility is practiced. Success in the workplace relies on responsible people. Individual employees that achieve a sense of responsibility gain trust and respect in the workplace. They have the drive to complete each task to the best of their ability. These individuals take the blame for any mistakes made are honorable when the easier road would be denial. They are more engaged in team projects and are more focused on the most profitable approach to any task. These responsible employees take pride in completion of their tasks. These are individual successes. To them, a responsible employee is worth their weight in gold to any organization.
Speaker 1:Responsible employees are dependable. They are accountable for their actions, good and the bad. For this reason, responsible employees are trusted by the managers and their co-workers. This trust allows relationships to grow among team members. Co-workers trust their responsible team members to complete their work in a timely and efficient manner. Co-workers may not trust other employees that are chronically late for work or miss deadlines. The less responsible employee will have a negative effect on team morale production and could possibly put the entire project in jeopardy. Responsibility positively affects an employee's individual success. It builds trust with co-workers and it also builds the trust that the organization has in the employee. Employers do not have any concerns about whether a responsible employee is going to finish an important task. This trust grows over time as the employee proves their dependability.
Speaker 1:Responsible employees are the core to all successful enterprises. An organization cannot operate without employees that value ethics and morals. Responsible employees are engaged in their work and realize the importance of their tasks and their timely completion. Employees that are responsible build better teams driven toward results. The success of the team is the foundation for a successful business. Profitable companies are led by responsible management. These managers in turn seek out the same responsibility traits in their teams. Successful leadership cultivates accountability and responsibility. The result reduced employee turnover, increased employee morale and a more profitable company.
Speaker 1:Amanda is presenting the board with the proposed program for focusing on employee accountability and responsibility. She needs the board's approval of the programs to be able to fully enact her new ideas. To better inform the board members, amanda is including some research into employee responsibility, a few pie charts on the cost versus the benefits and a list of all the benefits to both the employees and the company. Amanda is finished with the presentation and it is the Q&A portion. Mr Johns asks her what she believes is the biggest payoff for instituting these new policies. Amanda replies more responsible employees. She adds. Individual success with the program will lead to better teamwork and better relationships between employees and the organization. Ms Babcock chimes in. And this in turn will increase the company's work culture and probably make us more successful all the way around, right, amanda. Amanda confidently responds. That is right.
Speaker 1:Module 6. Characteristics of Responsible People. Now that the benefits to the team and to the company have been discussed, the traits of a responsible employee need to be examined. People do not have responsible stamped on their foreheads, so how does an employer determine who is and who isn't responsible? There are several qualities or characteristics of these valued employees. Responsible people are good, moral, ethical individuals. These people often think more of others and their concerns than of their own work or situations. Assessing a person's levels of the following traits will reveal the individual's level of responsibility.
Speaker 1:Most dictionaries have a few definitions for the word humble, but most say that showing a modest estimate of one's importance is the meaning of being humble. Employees that are humble are not striving for praise from management. They know that they are doing a job much like the other employees in the company. They know that many other individuals could have been hired in the same position. A humble employee realizes that they are just a part in a machine that is the company. A responsible employee is humble and often downplays their importance in the success of a team. These employees are quick to give the praises to the whole team or the team leaders.
Speaker 1:Transparency is a key communication trait that focuses on information flowing between employees. Transparency is one of the qualities of a responsible employee, because transparency requires a certain level of vulnerability. With it comes a sense of trust between the employee and management. This is key to a successful work culture. It may sound risky, but the benefits outweigh the risks. One way to encourage more transparency with employees is to schedule goal setting or feedback and review meetings. Checking in with an employee regularly encourages that employee to open up and express to the employer any issues or ideas they may have concerning their job. Peer reviews and evaluations are also useful to management and employees.
Speaker 1:A person makes a statement of intentions. This is the definition of making a promise. Everyone is a promise maker, but not everyone is a promise keeper. Some people are promise breakers. Promises only build trust if the promise is followed through on Individuals that keep their promises, are dependable, reliable and have positive relationships with others. Responsible employees are promise keepers, not promise breakers. When a responsible employee makes a promise to the employer, like the promise to work the scheduled shift, a responsible employee makes sure to be working at the scheduled times. Scheduled shift a responsible employee makes sure to be working at the scheduled times.
Speaker 1:A proactive employee is an employee that is always thinking ahead of what is required of them. They anticipate any possible problems that could occur and they plan for these problems. A proactive employee is great to have on the team because, no matter how good the planning may be, problems will arise. An employee that is not proactive has a wait-and-see attitude to the tasks that they are required to complete and may depend on others to resolve any issues that may arise. Responsible employees are proactive. They have a sense of ownership of their work and if problems arise, they can usually generate a solution. A responsible employee is proactive and ensures the success of the project and of the company overall. This employee realizes that their job depends on the success of the company.
Speaker 1:Stacey is explaining to her assistant, trish, the effects that irresponsibility has on their team. Stacey is trying to improve the work culture in her department and has found that unaccountable workers are the main problem. Well, if that's the problem, what are the specific qualities that we are looking for in an employee, asks Trish? It can't be something that is being taught in college. No, responds Stacey, it is in the work ethic. Let me show you my research on the subject. Stacey shows Trish the list of qualities in an employee they should be looking for when interviewing applicants for the department vacancies. This list included humbleness. For when interviewing applicants for the department vacancies, this list included humbleness, transparency, promise keepers and proactivity. Stacey explained that all these traits are the qualities of responsible employees that would be welcome to the team. Trish has decided to revise the interview questions to better assess these qualities in the applicants Module 7.
Speaker 1:Barriers Once an employer clearly defines accountability and what that means in the workplace, the management must then identify the barriers that stand in the way of accountability from the employees. They must ask themselves what about? Our work culture does not allow the employees to be accountable and responsible. Is it in the hiring requirements? There are several criteria that may contribute to a work culture that lacks accountability.
Speaker 1:After some simple investigation, management can usually attribute the lack of accountability in the employees to one or more of the following reasons discussed in this section. One of the first places to look for a barrier to accountability in the work culture is to assess the amount of direction employees receive from their leaders. Is it sufficient? Is there something standing in the way of the employees comprehending the expectations of management? Employees will only be as responsible as the management requires them to be or sets them up to be. A critical examination needs to be completed in the following areas Vaguely set goals or deadlines. Lack of priorities in tasks or projects. Tension between management and the workforce. Lack of communication between management and the workforce. If management has issues with any of these areas, the indication is that there are barriers to the employees being as responsible as they should be while at work. If the leaders are not clear as to the expectations of accountability, the employees can only assume that being responsible is not required.
Speaker 1:Another barrier to responsibility in the company's work culture is that there is no ownership. Employees do not feel that they own their work. They do not feel they are in control of the task and its completion. To better enable employees to be responsible and take ownership of their production is to give them more control. This does not mean that a manager should toss out the orders and let the employees go from there, but allowing an employee more control over how the task is accomplished is a good idea for increasing the employee's sense of ownership over the task and its completion. Once an employee has gained a sense of true ownership of their accomplishments, they will garner a sense of pride and will then be able to begin to take ownership of their mistakes.
Speaker 1:Employees that have no sense of commitment are more than likely not feeling valued. They feel out of the loop and non-essential in the grand business plan. If management does not communicate with their teams, employees have no idea what direction the company is going in, what the goals of the company are, or even the reason for their jobs. This leaves employees uncommitted, doing their job but not caring about how they do their job. Imagine a receptionist that is thinking about calling in sick again. She thinks that anyone in the office can answer phones and give directions. In fact, no one but the manager knows how to operate the front desk phone system and there is no one available in the office to cover the front door. If the receptionist knew how valuable she was, would she call in sick again?
Speaker 1:The ability to bounce back from adversity is the definition of resilience. Buildings are resilient to rain, animals are resilient to nature, etc. Individuals that are able to make mistakes and come back having learned from the mistakes are resilient. Unfortunately, not all people are resilient to issues that they encounter in the workplace. Have you ever wondered why? Every interview that you have had asks the question what is a problem you have encountered and how have you handled this problem? This question gives the employer some insight into how resilient the applicant may be. If the answer is I cried or I called the supervisor immediately, then the applicant is not resilient and probably will not get the job.
Speaker 1:Tam has determined that there are some barriers to the employees becoming fully accountable for their work and increasing their responsibility in the work culture. She calls Mark on the phone. I am sending over some new ideas for helping to increase the employee accountability in the workplace. Mark responds why not just tell them to be more accountable? Wouldn't that be a lot easier? No, says Tam, we make sure that they do not have to be responsible for anything. My email will explain it all. Just get it out to all of the managers, please. Tam sends the email to Mark. Mark reads the email in its entirety and begins to understand what Tam was referring to. Many of the managers are vague about their directions to the project teams. This alone allows the employees to avoid ownership of their work. He also realized that many employees never work through problems. They just call the manager to fix the issue. Tam was right. Mark thinks we need more accountability around here.
Speaker 1:Module 8. Overcome Barriers. Once the barriers to responsibility have been identified, plans to eliminate these barriers can begin. There is no easy method. Much like any other bad habit, being irresponsible is easy, stopping is hard. Simply stating that responsibility starts tomorrow is not the solution to the problem In the workplace.
Speaker 1:The changes must begin at the top, with management. Management must be the moral compass for the company. They must first demonstrate responsibility to the employees. It is the responsibility of the employer to promote accountability and responsibility in the workplace. One of the first steps to encouraging responsibility in the workplace is for management to create clear and concise goals. Whether it be the sales goals for the year in a sales meeting or the simple goals of having the inventory counted by the end of the day, management must clearly state these goals. Team leads, supervisors and managers have a responsibility to the employees to allow them to be responsible for the goals that they achieve. To do this, employees must feel in control of their goals and their achievements. Management should clearly state the goals, the expectations and the time frame in which the tasks are expected to be completed. Employees should then be allowed to complete the tasks at hand without further supervision unless necessary.
Speaker 1:Management is not only responsible for providing clear goals to employees. They are also responsible for providing employees all the resources that are necessary for them to complete their tasks in an efficient manner. It makes no sense that a shoe company that produces sneakers would not provide shoelaces for the employees to put into the shoes. Employees would have to make their own or order the necessary laces to complete the goal of finishing the orders. In this situation, the employees would not feel empowered about their production and would not likely take ownership of the issues. Management must provide all the necessary resources that an employee requires to complete their tasks and attain their goals. Resources can include reference materials and data, appropriate software and applications. Necessary employee support, such as human resources, mentors or trainers. Necessary materials, along with the correct instructions, realistic time frames for completion.
Speaker 1:A workplace culture that allows and provides positive feedback results in employees that are more responsible and more accountable for their work produced. Allowing feedback is not defined as listening to the employee's complaint about having to work. Allowing feedback is providing the employee an opportunity to voice their concerns about a task or ask questions about the processes required to complete that task. A manager should also have an open-door policy for employees who may have an idea for a more efficient process. Transparent communication between the manager and the employees increases the employee's feeling of empowerment and responsibility over their work. One of the simplest ways to provide feedback is to have a review system in place. For example, yearly performance reviews, project recap meetings and other scheduled and expected feedback is much easier for an employee to receive positively. The employer expects to receive some honest feedback from their employees and, in turn, the employees feel more empowered and less attacked by the manager or team leader.
Speaker 1:One of the reasons referred to most often for lack of employee responsibility and engagement has been the employee's lack of empowerment over their tasks. When an employee doesn't feel valued by an organization, they may actually feel very little responsibility for the work that they produce. One way to create an inclusive work culture is to provide the employees with mentorship from the beginning of their employment until termination. Employees should feel that there is a safe and engaging place to voice their employment concerns, to receive feedback on performance and to receive the necessary information on how to become a responsible employee within the company. Mentorship programs can also assist management in expressing the work ethics that they expect within their organization, requiring responsibility from the employees through regular mentor and mentee meetings is another tool to hold employees accountable for their productivity, engagement and work habits.
Speaker 1:Casey is aware of the increasing lack of responsibility at his workplace. He calls a meeting of the department managers to brainstorm. They started their meeting voicing some of their own personal concerns in their departments. Many of the managers felt that the company was not allowing the employees to be accountable for their production. Casey presented a list of barriers that he felt needed to be addressed. Casey states that the six-month review and feedback meeting should be put back into use. He said that they got away from it due to time, but now it is necessary. Hal has suggested that they allow the employees to access the orders themselves for viewing purposes. Only that will empower them. The managers soon started to present different ideas to overcome these barriers. They began to get so excited about the possibility of a positive work culture. Casey could barely write fast enough to record their ideas. First and foremost, all the managers were going to give better, more detailed instructions on tasks and needs for the day to the teams and then walk away. No more micromanaging how the employees are progressing. Bob is going to start a mentorship program with Emily. They both had experience with these types of programs.
Speaker 1:Module 9. Increasing Responsibilities. Whether at work or everyday life, responsibility is a trait of successful people. Employers, regardless of the industry or goals, are always in need of responsible employees. Unfortunately, when employees are hired, their responsibility levels are not always evident. A newly hired employee may be very well educated and skilled at the new position, but also very irresponsible at work. It is then that the employer has the need to increase the employee's responsibility through tools and mentoring from the team leaders.
Speaker 1:An employee that is struggling with their workload or deadlines requires assistance from their manager or leader. The employer has the ability to not only implement the necessary tools to better complete the required tasks, but can also improve communication from their manager or leader. The employer has the ability to not only implement the necessary tools to better complete the required tasks, but can also improve communication. Often, an employee can improve their work habits by learning how to properly prioritize the necessary tasks. By doing this, the employee better manages their workload. As the employee meets deadlines and finishes projects, their responsibility grows also. Here are some of the steps Gather a list of all of the required tasks needing attention.
Speaker 1:Determine the tasks that are immediate and those that are less important, determine the effort of each task, determine the value of each task. Employers must provide all the necessary tools for an employee to complete their tasks. This includes clear and concise communication of all expectations, deadlines and requirements for the tasks. An employee is not responsible to meet a deadline that they are not aware of. An employee should not have to ask for clarification of the task at hand or its deadline. The management of the organization must ensure that all expectations of the employees are upfront and clear to all employees. Ways to communicate expectations successfully can come in many different forms Onboarding presentations, listing employee expectations Frequently reviews meetings, recap meetings after project completion, state of the company meetings.
Speaker 1:Another tool that may engage employees and require more responsibility from them is to use an incentive program. Incentive programs also boost employee morale. An incentive program does not have to be a cash payout or result in a large expense to the company. It can be a simple shout out on the bulletin board, a small token of the business's appreciation for the work well done, etc. Incentive programs that focus on improving the employee's work performance will also instill accountability and responsibility in the employees. These programs must occur on a regular basis, not just once or whenever the managers think about awarding a prize. These achievements must be taken seriously by the employees and be something that should be desired by all employees. Some examples of incentive programs are Rewards Program, recognition Program, referral Program, company Advancement Program.
Speaker 1:Consequences are defined as the result of an action. We typically think of consequences as something negative. However, they can also be positive. Employees must know that there are consequences for every action they choose while at work. Employees must know that there are consequences for every action they choose while at work. Here are some of the consequences of being a responsible employee Reward, recognition, bonuses, promotions. Here are some consequences of not being responsible as an employee Added mentoring, write-ups, suspensions, terminations. An employee that continues to perform irresponsibly even after managerial coaching is probably not a good fit for the company. This employee may never accept responsibility and may need to be terminated. Employees who are continually terminated due to lack of responsibility will find it hard to obtain profitable employment.
Speaker 1:Jason has decided that, as a manager, he needs to encourage his employees to have more responsibility of their work performance. He has found a management book that recommends activities that allow the employees to feel more empowered. He has asked his department manager, estelle, to approve his new ideas. He has forwarded the outline to Estelle for approval. These are the new steps that Jason has recommended Better prioritization of employee tasks. Better management, communication, employee incentive programs. Consequences for irresponsible employees. Estelle quickly sends back her approval of Jason's responsibility ideas. She notes that these ideas will engage the employees in their work, make them more responsible for their conduct and hopefully move the irresponsible employees out of the department to make way for more productive, more responsible employees.
Speaker 1:Module 10. Accountability Software. Technology has enabled employers to instill responsibility into employees through the use of accountability software. This software, when installed on the company computer systems, can measure and monitor many areas of an employee's workday and allow management to review the work of the employee. This software originated with internet blocks on specific websites, time clocks and keystroke counters. It has now evolved into a much more powerful tool for enforcing the accountability of all the employees in the organization Work Zone.
Speaker 1:Created in Philadelphia, pennsylvania first began as document sharing software. The creators quickly found that the need for project management was much greater than the need for shared documents. These entrepreneurs saw that managers needed a way to monitor each team member's work status in regard to the projects that they were responsible for. They equipped the software with a project management collaboration tool. It allows the boss to create and send personal to-do lists to employees. As one of the earliest accountability software tools, it allowed managers to realize the benefits to being able to manage the work and the workers. When employees fell behind, managers could address the issue. This greatly increased the productivity of the employees and the success of the organization.
Speaker 1:Another accountability software program used today is Jira. Like WorkZone, jira was originally designed for something other than employee accountability. It first created as a bug and issues tracker used mainly by software developers. Today, although Jira is mainly targeting software development, it is capable of much more than just recording the issues in a computer system. Today, jira is now focused on more than just software development. Jira is capable of managing all types of projects, from the planning to the final production. Jira provides managers with communication tools for contacting team members, progress tracking and reporting, along with backlog reporting to alert managers and employees when tasks are past due. This software enforces the manager's expectation of team member responsibility.
Speaker 1:Samepage is a business software program that is referred to as a collaboration software. It is also a good accountability tool that can be used by managers to keep responsibility in the forefront of all the employees involved in the projects. This software offers managers tools such as task managers for each employee, which allows the manager to assign tasks that include due dates, reminders, recurrences and other options to ensure that employees are staying on track and staying as productive as possible. Linking all of the team members in real time with the project managers encourages all team members to be responsible and productive while working on the project. Proworkflow is another good example of accountability software for businesses. Proworkflow, much like the previously discussed project management software, didn't start out to be a mogul in the project management department, but as a simple task tracker on a handheld device, and later the time tracking tool was added. This simple personal task tracker soon blossomed into ProWorkflow as we know it today. It is marketed as communication software that also increases efficiency during the workday. This software offers a dashboard that displays an employee's projects and all of its related documentation and information. The task manager breaks down each project into single necessary tasks that, along with a time tracker, allow the project manager to have a real-time report on each employee's efficiency and productivity.
Speaker 1:James owns a box company. They produce the boxes that the vegetable companies in the area buy and ship their goods to market inside. Sarah owns one of those farms. They have been talking about their employees while unloading the weekly shipment of boxes. Sarah tells James that she has recently invested in software that holds her employees accountable for their time at work and, more importantly, on the clock. James asks Sarah what kind of software she is talking about. Sarah, has James come into the office and look at her computer, she shows him her new project management software. This software tracks the employee's work progress and even sends task announcements when appropriate. She tells James, this software lets the employees know that you are expecting them to be responsible. What is the name of the software, again, james asks. She tells him about several of the software packages that she was considering buying. She lists Workzone and Jira as good, but for her farm she chose Samepage for the communication aspects of the software. Sarah also tells James that ProWorkflow is a recommended project management system. He will just have to do his research and compare products.
Speaker 1:Module 11. Accountability Software. Part 2. As discussed in the previous module, technology has helped to create many options that assist in the management of employees and their accountability and responsibility to their jobs. These tools have not only increased productivity and efficiency, but have encouraged employees to be responsible for their actions and their productivity. Here are a few more software packages that are on the market today.
Speaker 1:Taskq is marketed as an enhancement to employee productivity. One of the many offerings of Task Queue is that this software is a task manager that will automatically assign the next task of the project to the appropriate team member. This cuts down on the distractions that employees encounter in between their assigned tasks. Task Queue also offers real-time productivity reporting for management, and one of the most popular aspects of the software is the communication capabilities. Vendors, shareholders, even customers, are able to communicate with team members just as easily as the team members communicate with one another. This adds another layer of responsibility on employees to be as productive as possible while on the project.
Speaker 1:Mondaycom is one of the new management application offerings that has burst onto the scene and is rapidly growing. This app is based on the collaboration communication that occurs between the employees of a team. A manager is able to observe the task progress of employees both on-site and off. This software is focused on people coming together in real-time to be more productive in their work tasks. Mondaycom is now able to integrate different tools into one dashboard. Tools such as Automation of Duties speeds up the repetitive tasks for employees, allowing them to focus on more important duties. This software also focuses on the accountability and transparency of the company's employees. All team members can see the project progress in real-time, encouraging employees to complete tasks responsibly.
Speaker 1:Another software that encourages accountability in employees is Asana. This collaborative software was launched to manage projects and improve collaboration among team members. The creators of this product had grown frustrated with the excessive amount of wasted time attending meetings, scheduling project updates, etc. This dashboard combines all the necessary tools to manage a team. Asana allows team managers to monitor the progress of the project and of the team members. Real-time sharing of information is vital to keeping employees accountable for their time spent at work. Trello was created as a list-making application. It soon became project management software. Much like the other accountability programs that have been discussed so far, this software is more focused on particular industries, but holds the team members accountable for their work, progress on projects and time spent on assignments. Like the others, this software allows management to assign tasks to individuals. It also allows reports and monitoring in real time. All team members' daily progress is visible, allowing management to give necessary attention to employees that need additional assistance.
Speaker 1:Sandra is purchasing the company's software. She has received a request from management to purchase and install Mondaycom to improve communication. She has heard of Mondaycom but would like to do some research on it before she buys it. She calls an IT friend, greg, to ask his opinion on this type of software. Greg tells Sandra that this type of software is great for communication, but there is other accountability software that Sandra's bosses may be interested in using. He tells her about TaskQ and Asana that are widely available and used by many companies. He also recommended Trello as a project management tool. Sandra researches all the benefits of these software packages and reports them to management for consideration.
Speaker 1:Module 12. Wrapping Up. Although this workshop is coming to a close, we hope that your journey to improve your understanding of responsibility in the workplace is just beginning. We wish you the best of luck on the rest of your travels. Words from the wise A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody. Thomas Paine. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die, and the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt, you must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of, jim Rohn. The happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility for every part of their life. Brian Tracy.