Things don’t get done unless people take responsibility. And
in organizations, leaders and team members must take responsibility to move the
vision, and the overall organization, forward. So, why do team members
sometimes abdicate responsibility? What holds them back from stepping up when
things are on the line? While the reasons can be numerous, here are five common
reasons.
1. Lack of Clarity
There are times when a team member doesn’t take
responsibility because they lack clarity about expectations. It’s not that they
don’t want to do what’s right, they were just never given a clear role
description, expectations, objectives, or deadlines. This is especially common
when onboarding new team members.
2. Lack of Commitment
Author Patrick Lencioni observes team dysfunction begins
when there is an absence of trust. That trust gap creates a fear of conflict,
which means when decisions are made about the organization’s direction, team
members exhibit a lack of commitment because they never felt comfortable
weighing in on the decision. Simply put, the fear of conflict (caused by a lack
of trust), produced a decision that people couldn’t buy-in to. What’s the
outcome? When team member lack commitment, they ultimately avoid accountability
for the decision, which leads to an inattention to results. This is why a
feedback culture is so important. It allows everyone to weigh in so that they
can buy-in.
3. Lack of Competence
Some team members don’t take responsibility because they
lack the skill to do what needs to be done. It’s not a matter of want to but
rather the ability to. As a result, they make excuses, hem haw around, or find
ways to delay effort and action. Rather than admitting what they don’t know or
can’t do, they pretend, or worse, shift blame. This is why ongoing personal
growth, professional development, and leadership coaching is so important.
4. Lack of Confidence
A lack of confidence can stem from a variety of things such
as personal insecurities or past failures. When confidence wanes, team members
can enter into a doom loop where their lack of confidence leads to a delay in
action, which results in no progress, ultimately compounding the lack of
confidence. This is why it’s so important to provide ongoing encouragement and
belief in your fellow team members.
5. Lack of Courage
Finally, some team members don’t take responsibility because
they lack courage. In other words, they’re too scared to take a risk, have a
hard conversation, or confront the issues that need their attention. As a
result, they keep delaying what needs to be done. They need someone to talk to
about their fears, and who will encourage their hopes as they identify easy
next steps. Sometimes the big, scary steps just have to be broken down into
bite-sized pieces.
So, what’s the cure for these five responsibility gaps? Each
one is unique, but generally speaking, there are four primary ways to help a
team member take responsibility and overcome the gap that’s undermining them.
1. Clarity
If the team lacks clarity, it’s your job as the leader to
provide it. They cannot read your mind, so be sure to establish a clear role
description, expectations, and answers to any questions they might have. By
providing clarity, you remove ambiguity and help the team see the path forward.
2. Coaching
For many of the responsibility gaps, coaching is the best
first step. For example, when there’s a lack of competence, confidence, or
courage, the team may just need some practical coaching to get them moving
forward. They need someone to believe in them, provide perspective, offer key
insights, and help them take the right next step.
3. Culture
Team members need a culture that values relationships,
accountability, and feedback. Relationships will help you address the lack of
connection, and accountability and feedback will help you address a lack of
commitment. When these dynamics are part of your culture, they make it harder
to hide behind responsibility excuses.
4. Consequences
Finally, with some responsibility issues, you need make the
consequences for failure to change clear and timebound. For example, character
issues must be addressed immediately. There’s no time to delay, and immediate
change is required. Team members need to understand what the consequences will
be if a change doesn’t happen by a specific deadline.
Addressing responsibility gaps aren’t easy, but when leaders
do, the respect from the rest of the team increases. Not only does productivity
increase, but so does organizational momentum and the health of the team.
