Leaders hold themselves and their people accountable. We are all accountable for what we do and fail to do. Modifying behavior and improving performance begins with accountability, usually in the form of punishment or reward. It must always be accompanied by counseling, either formal or informal so that the actions are understood.
Revolutionary War Naval Hero John Paul Jones says of the leader: “No meritorious act of a subordinate should escape his attention or be left to pass without its just reward, even if that reward is only a word of approval. Conversely, he should not be blind to a single fault in any subordinate, though, at the same time, he should be quick and unfailing to distinguish error from malice, thoughtlessness from incompetency, and well-meant shortcoming from heedless or stupid blunder.”
Few punishments or medals are the results of a single action. Instead, they are the result of regular counseling and accountability or the failure to do so. To create a high-achieving team, counsel your people regularly, and reward excellent performance as soon as you see it, even if it is only a word of approval.
I challenge you this week to catch your people doing good work and reward it with some public recognition on the spot!
If you need help, set up a call at the link https://calendly.com/tomconnally/claritycall/
Remember, “all things are possible through prayer and heavy deadlifts.”™.
