Using Accountability to Create Sustainability

Transcription

1 Using Accountability to Create Sustainability Susan Sall, MHA University of California-San Francisco

2 Welcome Tired of Being Milktoast?

3 Welcome No Slack for Slackers Stand up to underperforming workers despite threats of retaliation claims. Are your waste company's hiring, transfer, demotion and firing policies paralyzed by fear? Are you condoning bad performance, bad attitudes and bad behavior by employees because you're worried about being sued for retaliation? Join the crowd. (Shanoff, 2009)

4 Rationale Case study Agenda The Plan The Problems The Results Concepts & Mitigation

5 Definition ac count abil i ty Function: noun Date: 1794 The quality or state of being accountable; an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions <public officials lacking accountability> -OR- -Miriam Webster Dictionary The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account; the obligation to bear the consequences for failure to perform as expected. «The awful idea of accountability.» R. Hall. -Answers.com

6 Two Scenarios Ignore the issues Emotional cost- ongoing Expense- others doing work, but paying the ineffective Problems retaining good employees: Cost of hiring/training new person Operational issues during vacancy Create accountability Emotional cost- limited Get value from every employee Develop culture where non-productive de-select If ineffective employees don t stay: Cost of hiring/training new person Operational issues during vacancy

7 Rationale Why take on the HR problems everyone else works around? 1. Gained energy to deal with true exceptions and challenges 2. Gained respect for leadership by showing commitment to the organization and individual 3. Reduced stress levels for performing employees 4. Stop giving paychecks to those who aren t doing the work.

8 Why Accountability in this case Emotional outbursts Defensiveness Blame being placed Attacking the work of others Avoidance of certain employees

9 Case Study-The Known Manager position vacant 6 months Finance manager vacant 12 months Financial clean up needed New department chair Some fairly significant HR issues All the normal HR, finance, operations issues

10 Case Study-The Unknown Major budget cuts and expenses Lack of written processes New purchasing system Most of first year spent hiring key personnel

11 Organizational Chart Before David Julius, PhD Department Chair Susan Sall, MHA Manager Central Administration Faculty Support Education Neuroscience Graduate Program Finance Manager Academic HR Analyst Faculty Assistant.5 FTE Curriculum Coordinator Program Administrator Sr. Financial Analyst Staff HR Analyst Faculty Assistant Curriculum Asst.5 FTE Admin Assistant Financial Analyst Purchasing Purchasing Asst. IT Coordinator Pre-award Analyst Facilities Analyst 16 FTE

12 Organizational Chart After David Julius, PhD Department Chair Susan Sall, MHA Manager Central Administration Faculty Support Education Neuroscience Graduate Program Finance Manager Academic HR Analyst Faculty Assistant Curriculum Coordinator Program Administrator Financial & Pre-award Analyst Financial Analyst IT Coordinator.6 FTE Faculty Assistant.5 FTE Faculty Assistant.65 FTE Admin Assistant Purchasing 16 FTE FTE reduction: 4.25 FTE or 27%

13 Staff Survey More: accountability supportive concern for quality improvement improved communication recognition Campus-wide survey 2006 compared to 2008: Less: respect for manager clear responsibilities

14 Staff Survey There was general improvement, however, scores lag slightly below campus average for most areas. Accountability and recognition of employees had slightly higher scores than campus average.

15 Survey- Departmental Internal questionnaire for current staff and faculty Retrospective to before and after the new manager Participation Rates: 10 out of 18 staff, 56% 9 out of 16 faculty, 56%

16 Survey- Staff Feedback Responses typically about the same Financial health rated worse, much worse Effectiveness of roles, communication, expertise of staff were better Sample of Comments: Manager makes decisions without getting buy-in Things moving in the right direction HR and Finance managers feel like there is more accountability, but more work still to do.

17 Faculty Survey Example of summarized data: two specific questions regarding accountability much about much worse worse the same better better

18 The Plan 1. Hiring Practices Clear job expectations, current job descriptions Solid interviewing process, check references(!) 2. Evaluations & Coaching Provide training/refreshers Provide balanced feedback Meet regularly Address behavior issues

19 The Plan- part 2 3. Policies and Procedures Turnaround standards Document how processes or problems were resolved- online manuals/references 4. Reporting Structure and Roles Clear and available organizational charts 5. Data and Reports Find ways to quantify progress- use institutional as well as internal data

20 Problems Need to figure out how to: Get by until staff are in vacant positions Start repairing ineffective relationships Quickly get up to speed on historical info Develop trusting relationships Balance all this with getting all the other work done!

21 More Problems Discipline issues Resignations Claims filed Low morale

22 More Problems Discipline issues Resignations Claims filed Low morale Remind me why accountability is a good idea?

23 Why Accountability? Emotional outbursts Defensiveness Blame being placed Attacking the work of others Avoidance of certain employees

24 The Results What have I gotten for my efforts?

25 The Results What have I gotten for my efforts? Really capable staff

26 The Results What have I gotten for my efforts? Really capable staff Work is getting done

27 The Results What have I gotten for my efforts? Really capable staff Work is getting done Better, more open communication

28 The Results What have I gotten for my efforts? Really capable staff Work is getting done Better, more open communication Relaxed interactions

29 Key Concepts- Avoid Drama Appearance of calm Relaxed face Quiet body Provide support without removing responsibility How do you plan to work it out with them I m confident in your ability to find a solution This is a lot like the problem you solved last week Let me know how you work it out Active listening Eye contact Repeat back your understanding Avoid interruptions

30 Key Concepts- Avoid Drama

31 Key Concepts- Decision Making Pre-decisional vs. Post-decisional Defensive Bolstering Boomerang Effect Pressure to Justify Use of irrelevant informationhandy for justification. Easy to justify answers chosen, even if not as good. (Lerner & Tetlock, 1999)

32 Key Concepts- Trust Trust and accountability can act as substitutes Less known/trusted, more measures of accountability More known/trusted, less measures of accountability (Ammeter et al and Hall 2004)

33 Key Concepts- Trust Trust and accountability can act as substitutes Less known/trusted, more measures of accountability More known/trusted, less measures of accountability Too much accountability = too much cost Find the point where minimum measures of accountability balance with positive performance. (Ammeter et al and Hall 2004)

34 Key Concepts- Bias If manager s opinion known, more likely to develop plans to fit. If manager s opinion unknown, more likely to develop compromise or easy to justify answer. (Lerner & Tetlock, 1999)

35 Key Concepts- Bias

36 Mitigation Techniques Bolster your support network Have a plan, not driven by emotions Research policies before acting Document situations, + and -

37 Mitigation Techniques- 2 Discipline last to reduce claims Communication- didn t understand Training- didn t know Discipline- didn t perform (personal choice) Allow those struggling to succeed elsewhere

38 Improvisations Example 1: Right People & Left the Drama Employee Aggressive: Employee for 14 years, knows all rules Confusion on paperwork Upset with HR & several other staff who had messed things up in the past Want the manager to step in

39 Improvisations Example 2: Bias Ender Employee Unsure: In position less than a year Academic medical center ways are foreign Provide IT support for a large department Asked to analyze and justify manager s strong desire to significantly expand existing backup hardware Initial analysis clearly shows other options much more cost effective, need to let the manager know.

40 The Benefits of Accountability Sustainable work environment with: Energy to deal with true exceptions and challenges Respect for leadership in return for showing commitment to the organization and individual Reduced stress levels for performing employees Reduced money being invested in those who aren t doing the work.

41 References Ammeter et al, Human Resource Management Review 14 (2004) Hall et al, The Leadership Quarterly 15 (2004) Lerner & Tetlock, Psychological Bulletin (1999) Vol. 125, No. 2, Shanoff, WasteAge.com, January 2009