By Liane Davey
RECENT scandals underscore the notion that some executives are dictating growth targets so high that their employees are turning to unethical and perhaps illegal means to achieve them (see Wells Fargo, Enron and the US Department of Veterans Affairs).
Do you worry that you and your team might be asked to overreach?
The first thing your team would count on you to do in such situations is to question the unreasonable targets before accepting them. The point is not to reject the goals, which might have negative repercussions on your career. Instead, you should share the facts and voice your concerns.
For example, you could say, “I saw the $2-million target for our team. That would represent a 23-percent increase over last year at a time when our staffing has been cut. To reach these targets, each team member would have to improve their year-over-year performance by 38 percent, when the best improvement we’ve ever achieved is 11 percent. I’m concerned that attempting to achieve those targets will encourage short-term thinking that will affect our customer satisfaction and ultimately harm our growth. Are there opportunities to revisit this target?”
My experience has been that advocating for a more reasonable target seldom works. So ask for the resources you’ll need to be successful. You might ask for more staff or marketing or advertising support, or for tools to reduce the administrative burden.
Once you’re clear on the hand you’ve been dealt, engage your team in some creative thinking about how to be successful. A team member is most likely to turn to counterproductive or unethical behaviors only after exhausting the more appropriate ones. Your job is to make sure that there is always a constructive option for what to try next. Ask your team members questions, such as “Where do we get the most traction?” and “What approaches are working best this month?” Where possible, provide data and help the team glean insight that inspires new approaches.
It’s equally important to define the off-limits options. Be explicit in asking, “What would we not be willing to do to hit our target?” or “What would give us short-term gain but create long-term pain?” Having an open discussion about the types of behaviors that aren’t acceptable will create strong social pressure to stay within the lines.
Liane Davey is the co-founder of 3COze Inc.