Welcome to Minute with Mallon!
Something I Taught:
I was recently working with a group of leaders from a company. We were discussing how to hold people accountable and how to have difficult conversations when necessary.
During our conversation, I remembered something I call the Clear Expectation Test.
It starts with one simple question:
Did they clearly know what GOOD looked like?
Sometimes we think we're dealing with an accountability problem when we're actually dealing with a clarity problem.
Before holding someone accountable, I want you to ask yourself:
Did this person clearly understand what was expected of them?
Not, "I mentioned it."
Not, "They should know."
And certainly not, "Well, everybody knows that."
Here's the real question: Could they clearly explain the standard back to you?
There's a big difference.
Let me give you an example.
Imagine telling someone, "I need you to communicate better."
What the heck does that mean?
Instead, try something like this:
"When a project is going to miss its deadline, I expect you to let me know at least 24 hours in advance and tell me what you're doing to get it back on track."
Now THAT'S something measurable!
You've taken a vague expectation and turned it into a clear standard that both of you understand.
So, before we correct someone, let's give ourselves a little test.
1. Was the expectation clear? Did I explain exactly what success looked like?
2. Did I confirm understanding? Could they explain the expectation back to me?
3. Did I give them what they needed? Did they have the tools, training, and authority to meet that expectation?
4. Did I follow up? Did I check their progress before things went wrong?
Here's what I want you to remember.
You can't fairly hold someone accountable to an expectation you never clearly established.
And here's the part that can be uncomfortable for us as leaders.
Sometimes the first person who needs to be held accountable is the one looking back at us in the mirror.
Because clarity is the leader's responsibility. Execution is the employee's responsibility.
When both are in place, accountability becomes a whole lot easier.
Something to think about: Before your next difficult conversation, ask yourself, "Have I made it impossible for this person to misunderstand what GOOD looks like?"
Something to Ponder:
"I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer."
Jim Carray
Something I Learned:
Recently, I had a strange thought: Since the 1960s, how much bigger are we?
According to the CDC, the average American man in the early 1960s stood 5'8" and weighed 166 pounds. Today, he stands about 5'9" and weighs 199 pounds.
That's approximately a 1.5% increase in height and a 20% increase in weight.
Women have experienced almost the exact same change. In the early 1960s, the average woman stood 5'3" and weighed 140 pounds. Today, she stands about 5'4" and weighs 172 pounds.
That's approximately a 1.6% increase in height and a 23% increase in weight.
In roughly 60 years, we've barely gotten taller, but we've gotten considerably heavier.
Something worth thinking about as we consider our daily habits and long-term health.
And apparently we've been growing in all the wrong directions! 🤣
Something I Saw:
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Hope you have an incredible week!
Robert
