Struggling to hold senior managers accountable for performance targets?

You get what you measure, conversely you do not get what you do not measure. Measuring the wrong achievements toward goals is sometimes worse than not measuring at all as it can misdirect energy and effort. Measurement can be quantitative or qualitative, or both. Measurement of what matters is the bedrock of accountability.

Before going to the team member not meeting their goals, first look internally. Have you set the expectations clearly? Is there something you can reference before going to the member? Often times, people should be given a benefit of the doubt - and its often a misunderstanding. Once this is reviewed - be prepared to allow the team member to explain the situation, as opposed to immediatly putting them on the defense. I have found this fosters the necessary respect to have a better outcome later.

Every team member, from VP to IC, should have OKRs and KPIs assigned in their annual performance plan. These OKRs and KPIs should be aligned with and justified by the company's overall OKRs and KPIs.

Yes, its undoubtedly, a struggle to hold senior managers accountable for performance targets, generally since the targets are always way above the achievable targets. However, to bring in a conscious alignment amongst team members to achieve targets with ease and grace according to my experience are: 1) Own up the team, its achievements and failures both. 2) Be available with solutions at challenging times, both morally and as an example. 3) Appreciate achievements and provide feedback when needed. 4) Get the team to focus on a bigger cause for themselves and the organisation. 5) Allow the team to generate new ways and ideas for success. 6) Create a space for discussions with open mindset and freedom to execute. 7) Celebrate regularly.

Monitoring progress is an insurance policy. It reduces risk and sets you and a delegee up for success. Done well - and early - this a mutually-supportive endeavor that protects all interests. It fosters celebrations along the way of incremental wins that otherwise go unseen and unacknowledged (crucial for morale). It bakes early warnings in if something is running off the rails while you have options: Time to experiment with risk mitigations or new roles, with egos in tact; and space to renegotiate upstream expectations. Any or all can prevent damaging derailment. Agree up front on the minimum necessary indicators of progress. Make them observable. Confirm how to collect them with minimal effort and how best to see trends over time.

Data-Driven Feedback: Use data and metrics to provide objective feedback. This helps in identifying areas of improvement and recognizing accomplishments based on concrete evidence.

Feedback requires a receptive receiver. As Yogi Berra said, “you can learn a lot about people just by watching.” Watch who takes positive action on feedback. Establish a cadence and mechanism for providing feedback up front. Be clear that the target of the feedback is the project - not the person. A smart bet is to focus feedback on agreed upon specific performance indicators, outlined for progress monitoring. Acknowledge improvements. Celebrate even small and incremental successes. It is momentum-building and generates energy. Address issues early (bad news is not fine wine - it doesn’t get better with time). Whether on or off target - once is a data point, twice is a pattern, and thrice is a trend. Absent intervention, trends grow.

Lead by Example: Demonstrate accountability in your own actions. When senior managers see that you hold yourself to the same standards, they are more likely to follow suit.

Entre directivos, hablar de posicionamiento de marca personal por gestión, es imprescindible para esta etapa. Abordar estos temas de forma humana pero profesional, suman compromiso al servicio con excelencia.

I always communicate these five senses at work, especially to the executive team: 1. Sense of Responsibility 2. Sense of Ownership 3. Sense of Direction 4. Sense of Urgency 5. Common Sense Everyone on the executive team must believe and practice these five vitals at work.

When delegating, the leader’s most important role is to create the conditions for success. That means preventing many challenges by managing expectations, providing reasonable accommodations where needed, giving relief on other priorities if needed to free key people up, approving more resources where justified, lending expertise and access, and removing roadblocks. It also means creating safe space to address challenges. Take a systems-approach by identifying the array of variables contributing to the challenge. This can help diffuse perceptions of blame. Take care though to not sidestep a key variable, water down important messages, or resort to half measures that will only create more down the road when the problems come roaring back.

Continuous Development: Invest in the continuous development of your senior managers. Provide training and resources to help them enhance their skills and achieve their targets.

Monetary bonuses are nice, but research shows that once one’s pay exceeds the subsistence level, intrinsic factors are the stronger motivators. Satisfaction at doing a good job and a sense of doing something worthwhile are the most powerful (see below for source). Appreciation regularly tops the list of extrinsic rewards that people value. These rewards cost nothing, but require awareness of the signals we send. Help people see that what they are doing is worthwhile. Acknowledge the job well done however big or small. Appreciate those who go the extra mile for you. Don’t wait until the end. Rewarding success along the way increases the chances there will be something to celebrate at the end – and shared victory is the sweetest reward.

One of my mentor often stated the phrase "Risk and Reward go hand in hand". Being part of executive team carries risk of accountability for not performing, it should also bring reward for outstanding performance or even for achieving set KPIs and OKRs.