A
high-performing candidate may value a strong company culture when they're
debating their next move. If companies want to attract the best talent, they
should be willing to create enjoyable work environments where team members can
sense opportunities for growth and development.
The idea of a strong company culture is not novel, but an immersive
culture beyond ping-pong tables and a few company pets is a foundational aspect
that I believe every emerging business needs to build in order to attract top
talent.
In my experience, strong team member accountability plays a large part
in fostering an environment in which the team members feel validated and senior
leadership feels trust in their ability to deliver on customer expectations.
Accountability allows top performers to shine and be challenged while
uncovering areas of development for lower-performing team members.
You can't shift to a culture of accountability at the drop of a hat; senior
leaders should plant the seed and nurture it with key internal culture drivers
to ensure it becomes the company norm.
Step One: Starting At Square One By Building The Right Team
Hire first based on whether the candidate fits your core values as a
business. Before you even think about evaluating a candidate's skill set, you
should make sure that person is a cultural fit. One way to do that is by
listing out your core values as a business. These shouldn’t be aspirational;
they should reflect the current reality. Otherwise, you run the risk that team
members won't take your values seriously. List out core behaviors that
exemplify the core values of your company, and that will help you identify
whether prospective candidates will be strong team members based on how they’ve
behaved in their careers. For example, one of my core values is "sleeves
up." Two core behaviors that exemplify "sleeves up" are
taking ownership proactively and offering solutions rather than complaining.
You should look for people who admit to failures and mistakes in
their careers without pushing off the accountability of those mistakes to
others. Ask candidates about their biggest failure in
each of their prior roles; if they can’t come up with any, that could be a red
flag. Everyone makes mistakes, but people who own those mistakes and take
actions to prevent them in the future will be highly valuable for your
business.
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Step Two: Managing And Executing
In business, there will almost always be far more things that need to be
done than there are people to do them. One way to ensure that your team is as
efficient as possible is by making sure that everyone has the right priorities
in order. I use a system called "Quarterly Rocks." In this system, you
give out company rocks -- or priorities -- once per quarter, and one team
member shouldn't own any more than three rocks. This means that for the
quarter, a team member should get all three of their "rocks" done.
This doesn’t mean they can’t get other things done; it just means that these
are the top-priority items.
Team members should help each other achieve the goals they need to meet.
At my company, a person is accountable for their rocks and can’t delegate
accountability away. This system has helped me make sure our team has all the
resources and training they need to execute these goals.
Step Three: Celebrating Wins And Promoting Recognition
Often, teams don’t celebrate their members’ wins; they simply go right
on to the next project. That can be a critical mistake for leaders who want to
promote accountability. Taking the time to celebrate helps your team feel a
sense of accomplishment that can keep them going when things are really tough.
Activities like laser tag or bowling may seem silly, but they can help the team
bond more effectively and help improve overall communications. An increase in
communication can yield stronger business results and improve accountability.
There are a variety of other ways that senior managers can go about
promoting recognition, such as through promotions, extra paid time off and
raises. Many effective leaders will probably tell you that their team members
value everyday benefits and resources the most. These can range from allowing
them to pursue furthering their education to providing professional development
opportunities and mentorship programs.
In the many moving parts of a business, it's easy to lose things in
translation. This is why a team that communicates and works in unison is at the
core of all success. In my experience, this is only possible if people are
accountable for their day-to-day roles. Building a community where team members
are accountable can instill the right values across the board and inspire
continued growth. When you achieve this at a granular level, the business can
succeed overall.
