Accountability is a cornerstone of effective leadership, and when it’s missing, performance suffers. In today’s episode of Lessons in Leadership, Dave Anderson, leadership expert and founder of LearnToLead, discusses an effective technique for managing underperformers and empowering them to strive to higher standards.
What a leader fails to call out, they accept. The absence of accountability normalizes poor performance. When left unchecked, this behavior is likely to persist and have a negative impact on others.
When dealing with underperformers, leaders often employ a directive coaching style. While the approach may solve the problem in the short term, it misses a critical window of opportunity to accelerate an individual’s growth.
"Leadership is a dialogue, not a monologue."
Instead of giving teams long-winded speeches or providing the answer, Anderson suggests using the “call out and call up” technique. It’s a series of four questions that promote self-reflection, personal accountability and garners commitment from underperformers.
The first question to begin the dialogue with is, “Was the effort you put in the best you could have done?” Few people are comfortable claiming poor performance to be their best, and this initial question encourages honest self-evaluation.
Anderson recommends following up with “What would your best have looked like?” This question allows the team member to articulate their vision of excellence verbally and enables leaders to verify clarity, ensuring alignment.
After verifying that the employee is aware of what excellence looks like, it’s critical to understand why they didn’t do it in the first place. Anderson recommends asking, “Why do you think that didn’t happen?” This question is excellent because it expresses genuine curiosity and doesn’t come across as accusatory; it’s also not too threatening. It also effectively gauges the individual’s receptiveness to take accountability for their performance.
The most critical question is, “What can I expect to see differently from you next time?” This question is crucial because it elicits a clear commitment from the team member. Anderson strongly advises against making a commitment on behalf of an employee and instead getting it directly from them. Psychologically speaking, individuals are more likely to keep their word than one imposed on them.
After asking the final question, Anderson highly recommends closing the conversation with, “I appreciate your commitment to improve. I’ll hold you to it.” This comment expresses gratitude, reminds the employee of their commitment and confirms that there will be a future follow-up.
Leaders must remember that the foundation of effective leadership is to cultivate an environment where teams can push themselves and grow. Resist the urge to preach or provide employees with all the answers. Instead, lead with questions to create impactful dialogue that encourages self-reflection and promotes growth.
