Hold Your Employees Accountable - or Let Them Go

Employees can’t just show up for work anymore — either they make a significant difference and impact, or they need to go.

Many employees want to be great, they just don’t know what you expect of them. Here are five things you can do to make your employees become more accountable for results, performance and the bottom line.

1. Clearly define your performance expectations of each employee. Include performance metrics to help employees assess their impact.
2. Present a company issue or challenge to employees and have them offer solutions. Hold them accountable for brainstorming viable solutions.
3. Require employees to propose four new ideas each week. One related to growing the business; one related to operating more efficiently; one related to improving the workplace/culture; one related to increasing customer loyalty. Share the presented ideas and the ones that are selected for implementation.
4. Assess employees’ talents, strengths, skills and passions. Realign employees into roles that better match their core aptitudes, values and interests. This activates greater employee competence and confidence. Both influence accountability.
5. Create an intranet or internal company section of the company website where critical information is presented so all employees are fully informed. Hold employees accountable for using information presented on the website in their decisions and performance.

Most employees want to be great — they want to make a difference, improve their performance and be considered valuable. But most lack the guidance, the information, the confidence or the authority to make it happen. Focus on employee accountability — help develop a “no excuse” workplace mentality. Help employees contribute what you pay them for — great performance that generates a significant return.