Positive and Principled Inspections
Article | Accountability Insights
When the CEO of a midsized provider of outsourcing services to the hospitality industry began stepping up his inspection of progress toward expected results, his direct reports and their direct reports reacted with strong negative emotions. Their reactions and complaints ranged from “You’re micromanaging us” to “You don’t trust us” to “You can’t expect us to take accountability when you’re breathing down our necks” to “You don’t believe we can do our jobs.” Most people will view an inspection of expectations as micromanagement or lack of confidence and trust, unless you prepare them in advance for the inspection. Think about it. It’s natural for people to become anxious and apprehensive when they know someone is going to check up on their progress. Consider the following list of reasons why people don’t want to be inspected:
| • | They view your follow-up as distrust in their ability to perform. | |
| • | They want to be “empowered,” not “second-guessed.” | |
| • | They don’t want to disappoint or fail to live up to your standards. | |
| • | They don’t want to share their rewards for fulfilling their responsibility. | |
| • | They take pride in not needing your time or attention. | |
| • | They want to establish their credibility and value to the organization. | |
| • | They don’t believe your inspection will add value to their ability to get the job done. |
If you fail to appreciate and deal with these natural human concerns up front, you shouldn’t be surprised when people resist your inspection efforts. The only way to successfully Inspect What You Expect is to obtain a mutual understanding and agreement up front about how the inspection process will unfold. Once that’s accomplished, the inspection process will help you and the people in your Expectations Chain develop positive Accountability Connections, while facilitating the delivery of the results you desire.
How do you do it? By applying all four steps in the Outer Ring of the Accountability Sequence—Form, Communicate, Align, and Inspect—when developing a mutual understanding and agreement on how you will Inspect What You Expect. Forming expectations around how the inspection will occur, communicating those expectations using Why-What-When, and ensuring you have alignment before proceeding will prepare your people for an effective and mutually beneficial inspection process. And don’t forget to Inspect the inspection process itself from time to time. Inspecting your expectations in a positive, principled way will save you huge amounts of time by not having to correct problems and address unmet expectations later. Being clear and upfront also provides a good experience for all of those along the Expectations Chain. For more information on inspecting your expectations, please join the Accountability Community by visiting www.partnersinleadership.com
Accountability Sequence, Inspect What You Expect, Outer Ring, and Why-What-When are all registered trademarks of Partners In Leadership Inc.