Recently, a colleague and I were talking about leadership decision making. We exchanged thoughts about the continuum of decisions, the “easy” to the “difficult” ones.  Giving everyone a longer lunch hour on a sunny day is an easy decision to make for a leader. It is considerate and popular; who doesn’t like a little more personal time in the fresh air?

But then there are situations which demand a leader to show courage. The increasing importance of using social media in educational institutions for communicating with different audiences has meant that I decided to add social media usage as part of my staff’s performance plan in 2011. For a school that is largely successful because of its proactive marketing and on-the-ground relationship-building, social media is more of a necessity than an option.  Was my decision (to add social media usage to employees’ performance plans) a popular decision? I guess it depends on who you ask. Some individuals accept new technology more readily. Simply said, they are aficionados of tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook Twitter, Four-Square and so forth. Others, in spite of providing training and coaching, do not come on board so easily. As a leader, I encourage and consistently send the message that everyone must engage in some form of social media practice. But to some staff, this may seem like top-down legislation. However, I view it as the responsibility of a leader to make and stay with decisions that are important for the overall success of the school.

Perhaps the most challenging decisions I have made as a leader are ones that have involved establishing new business practices, confronting a direct report on their lack of professionalism and performance, or dismissing an individual. I prefer to make data-based decisions, ones that will stand up to scrutiny and second-guessing, although they may not be popular. These are situations when a leader needs to show courage and decisiveness.

Every decision can be viewed from multiple perspectives. But whenever I have had to make popular decisions or ones that required courage, I have always endeavored to exercise my values of integrity and transparency.

As a leader, where does courage enter your daily routine?

So what exactly does it mean to empower people in the workplace? In Successful Diversity Management Initiatives (1996), I wrote that “Empowerment refers to a sense of personal power, confidence and positive self-esteem. Empowerment involves a process of change that can be achieved in relation to specific goals.” Make no mistake, empowerment of self or others involves thoughtful planning, having actionable alternatives and of course, following through. Did I make the changes or succeed as desired?

The term empowerment is not an all or nothing proposition; empowerment needs to be personalized and contextualized. It can mean giving a new employee support and guidance to meet their first six-month goals. For mid-career professionals, it may mean ensuring they have the appropriate professional development and workplace experiences and exposure to move to the next level in the organization.  For more senior employees an organization wants to retain, a sponsor may identify opportunities and lobby to develop the individual’s talent with new assignments and perhaps other perks.

Contemporary organizations are flatter than ever before making “upward” progress unlikely or very slow at best.  Employees at our school have discussed the limits in upward mobility and their desire to have new career challenges and opportunities.  How can I empower advancement in an educational system where career progression is narrowly defined by years of experience, assuming more responsibility and delivering on goals?

Participation in employee-led work groups like the Green Teams, Wellness Committees, Inclusion and Engagement Committees and reading circles, among other opportunities to continue learning, can get employees involved in leadership activities. I encourage individuals to attend conferences relevant to their work or invite them to attend with me. Finally, because of the flatness of our school, I assign projects that increase individuals’ responsibilities and scope of influence, and then help them be successful.

Organizations and managers must consider how they frame and apply the term empowerment in their organization. Indeed, disempowered employees can be a drag on business goals.  Remember, “Empowerment involves a process of change that can be achieved in relation to specific goals.”

Who establishes workplace norms? How are these norms enacted, monitored and perpetuated? If only certain individuals can talk with the president of a company or of a university, does this norm affect only certain employees? If so, who is exempt?

All organizations have both written and unwritten rules about expectations to meet goals. As a leader, I have annual, monthly, weekly and daily objectives to guide my performance. At the end of the day or the week, I take stock of objectives I carryover and the reason for “non-completion.” There are many reasons — a meeting was postponed, not enough data was available to fulfill a task, more people must be brought into the process, and so forth.  In other words, if an objective is on my list, I am accountable.

So what are the motivators for accountability?

I recently facilitated a seminar on accountability for mid-level managers. Everyone agreed that there are two types of motivators — internal and external, or in psychological terms, intrinsic and extrinsic.  For example, if I have to hire a number of new replacement employees by the end of the year, I am driven to complete the objective because it benefits the school. You could say this is an extrinsic motivator because other people depend on these replacements to complete their goals. Alternatively, this is also an intrinsic expectation because I am personally motivated to succeed at tasks that I determine are doable.  As the manager and leader, I direct the ship and its destination.

What are barriers to accountability?

I cited a few examples above that are about processes, timing, others’ involvement and so forth. In the same seminar, we discussed less observable barriers. Among these are an individual’s lack of experience, lack of management support, inadequate resources, poor teamwork, and disinterest. You could say they are also psychological barriers. Among these are fear of failure, procrastination, not asking for help, and perfectionism. All of them are interrelated. If you ask a teammate or employee why they wait until the last minute to finish an assignment, a typical answer might be that they like the pressure. Of course, this does not work for everyone — procrastination is an enemy of accountability.

How does the leader enact accountability?

First, the leader models how she fulfills objectives, and how she holds herself accountable.

Second, the leader models that she holds direct reports accountable. Employees watch. Who will get a “bye,” who will be exempt, and who will get more time? As a leader, I expect my direct reports will model for their team the fulfillment of objectives in a timely matter. If this does not occur, I must hold these individuals accountable to the set standards.

Third, a leader uses the terms expectations and accountability. These words convey workplace norms that are modeled and valued.

Finally, a leader celebrates accountability. In the past fiscal year, grant funding increased for the school. This was not accidental. A number of staff were involved in the planning, writing and fulfillment of the objective. They met personal expectations, team goals, and school priorities. Accountability is admirable.

For more on accountability, check out this very informative presentation created by the Cardinal Stritch University Leadership Center: Introduction to Leading Accountability