Quality control is a key management responsibility. As a boss, you are charged with preserving and enhancing the value of the goods you produce and the services you deliver. You're vigilant, knowing that mistakes erode the reputation of your organization and diminish your standing as a supervisor.
It's natural then, for you to hate mistakes and to be disappointed, frightened, angry -- or all of the above -- when they happen. But let me rephrase that. Mistakes don't "happen." The people on your team make mistakes. How you deal with the errors and the people says a good deal about you as a leader.
In the face of mistakes, are you an Exploder, an Excuser or an Explorer? Here's a look at each:
The Exploder:- Believes the ferocity of his/her response is justified and necessary in defense of quality
- Assumes that fear is a motivator
- Prefers the role of prosecutor and avenger
The Excuser:- Identifies with the staff; sees their errors as his/her own personal or organizational failure
- Believes staff morale suffers and bosses lose support when they get tough about errors
- Prefers the role of defender
The Explorer:- Wants to know the "why" and "how" of a mistake
- Uses the information to determine, with the offender, why and how it won't happen again
- Prefers the role of investigator
I'm a fan of the third option. I think Explorers produce more effective, long-term solutions. Their analytical approach may identify gaps in training, communication, policies, systems, roles, responsibilities and accountability. While not letting offenders off the hook, Explorers also seek to eliminate current and future excuses for goof-ups.
What about the Exploders and Excusers? They have limited effectiveness. Bosses who are seen as bullies end up with employees who revert to what I think is a dangerous phrase: "Just tell me what you want." Those employees stop making independent decisions and taking risks, for fear of incurring wrath.
Excusers, in their effort to keep peace in the family, may actually lose the respect of hard-working employees who feel the boss isn't holding everyone to the same performance standards. They can also be seen as protecting their people while pointing the finger at other departments, building tensions and killing collaboration.
Great bosses are strategic in their response to errors, basing their reactions on three things: the individual, the situation and the desired outcome. Exploring is usually the best path -- but not always.
A skilled Explorer may assess a situation and determine a little exploding or excusing is called for. The key is this: the Explorer knows exactly why playing extreme offense or defense is a good tactic and does it intentionally, not because he or she couldn't help it.
When a normally even-tempered boss gets fired up because an egregious misdeed put people or core values at risk, people remember. When a boss with high standards stands up for a staffer whose mistake was abetted by management's own shortcomings, people remember. And when they remember, they learn.
Finally, a bit of advice to employees (and we're all employees, aren't we?): If you want your boss to be an Explorer, help it happen by
your response to your own errors. Own up to your piece of any mess. Share why and how it happened and your commitment to quality in the future. Then keep your promise.
Have you been told you overreact to mistakes? In today's three-minute podcast, "What Great Bosses Know about Handling Mistakes," I share two reasons that might explain your problem, as well as two solutions that could help.
Poynter's "What Great Bosses Know" podcast is sponsored by
The City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. Poynter's leadership and management expert Jill Geisler shares practical information on leadership and management that's valuable for bosses in newsrooms and all walks of life.
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