The prerequisite for accountability

Delegation should always follow the rule:

“Only delegate results, never methods”.

If you delegate methods (how to achieve the result), in the event that your employee actually does what you requested from him but, for any reason, the result is not what you expected, you will be unable to hold him accountable. You will probably receive a reply similar to “Hey, I did what you asked, it’s not my fault if it didn’t end up well.” If, instead, you delegate the results but not the methods (you tell your employees what you need but not how to achieve it), then the employee can be held accountable for the results.

If you delegate the methods, you will not be able to hold you employees accountable.

Many managers have a problem holding their employees accountable, if the employee didn’t meet the objective that was given to him. Often, managers feel uncomfortable telling their employees that they did not do their job properly, and they end up not saying anything. Managers should realize that the only case in which a manager might feel uncomfortable telling an employee he didn’t do his job properly is if the manager thinks that the employee might think he had done a good job. If the manager is clear beforehand about what constitutes a good job and what constitutes a bad job, then both the manager and the employee will have the same understanding, and the manager will not feel bad about telling the employee he did a bad job (because the employee will already know it).

In other words:

Clarity on what constitutes a good job is the prerequisite for accountability.

In order for a manager being comfortable in holding employees accountable for the quality of their job, it is necessary that they are clear beforehand on what constitutes a good job and what constitutes a bad job.

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