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Accountability & Performance Improvement
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Participants study details of a small company ‘Classic Cards’ that designs and markets greeting cards. It has problems. The group, divided into pairs of teams (A&B), study a team brief. One team has the ’Staff’ brief, containing comments from company staff about the state of the business. The other team in the pair studies the ‘Managers’ brief. The task for each is to identify problems in the company, try and work out the causes and suggest a way forward.
The two teams then come together to share findings. What emerges is the weak corporate culture at ’Classic Cards’ where the staff are unclear of their roles and responsibilities. Both staff and management are full of excuses. They blame everything - from each other to external forces such as the economy. No-one is being pro-active, or taking ownership or adopting a ‘can-do’ attitude.
Teams now prepare short presentations on their findings and suggestions. This serves to consolidate ideas about what accountability really means in terms of day-to-day operations in the work place.
Usefully participants recognise a lot of issues from their own workplace and later they can address these in Action Plans. But first, to extend the learning and put it into clearer context, teams are asked to work on a number of handouts that allow them to consider:- Their job descriptions: when last looked at? Main points?
- Their key result areas: what are the major parts of their job?
- Their objectives: short and long term?
- Their boundaries: to whom do they report? To whom can they delegate?
With a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities staff have a framework in which they can be accountable - and move forward to improve performance at work, their own self-worth and the success of the organisation as a whole.
- a clear definition of 'accountability'
- to take ownership and responsibility, be self-critical
- the importance of using initiative, being pro-active
- to avoid the 'blame' game
- to define key result areas
- to be aware always of their job description and objectives
- Divide group into pairs of teams (3-4 people per team) and issue one with the ‘Staff’ Brief and the other with the Manager Brief.
- After 20 minutes put the pairs together pairs together to share findings and knowledge and prepare presentations on the state of the organisation.
- After 30 minutes observe the presentations. Issues all relate to problems caused by lack ofaccountability and poor performance from individuals and management.
- Lead a debrief on the key issues that emerge. Have teams identified root causes – and suggested appropriate ways to solve the problems?
- Trainer’s Notes provide full guidance. Additional handouts enable you to extend the learning and draw up individual Action Plans to improve overall accountability and performance back at work.
Northgate's games a easy to use and they offer a wide range of titles. They are extremely helpful whenever I contact them.
JE Rowland, Royal Devonport Dockyard (Babcock Intl Group)
Everything produced by Northgate is well designed, of the highest quality and promotes a great deal of useful debate.
- RIAS Plc
- Scottish Prison Service
- UL International
- Gentoo Group
- Perform Consultancy
- Hymans Robertson
- Roadchef Motorways
- Kwik-Fit
- Newcastle College
- Plan 4 Performance
- Magnet Group
- NHS Shetland
- BMT Group
- Trainer’s Notes
- CD-rom containing PDF files for printing handouts
- Team Brief – Managers
- Team Brief – Staff
- Organisation Chart
- Handout: What would you do?
- Handout: Key results areas
- Handout: Boundaries & lines of control
- Handout: Future goals
- Handout: Common enemies
