Does your entire team understand the mission and priorities of the unit, and the connection between their daily work and achieving the unit and University goals? Do you feel that implementation is difficult due to people’s lack of commitment or accountability? Does everyone on your team feel free to speak up and share their ideas?

In this unit, managers will explore strategies to ensure their team is working effectively together toward shared goals.

Learning Outcomes

• Explore the role of the manager as a strategist, providing the team with a mission, vision, priorities, and clarity on how their work fits into the broader purpose.  

• Reinforce a culture of accountability by establishing ownership of responsibilities, making clear requests, and eliciting commitments.    

• Discuss how to motivate and empower employees to take responsibility and ownership of their work. 

• Identify strategies to address poor performance and/or behavior to reinforce a culture of accountability.

1. Prepare by watching online learning pathway

For Managers: Implementing Shared Goals and Accountability LinkedIn Learning Pathway

2. Attend a session to discuss ideas in more depth

Strategy, Motivation, and Alignment

Thursday, March 16, 3-4:30 p.m., Education 123

This workshop will explore the shift from traditional strategic planning methods to adaptive and creative strategy that moves organizations forward in a VUCA--volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous--world. 

But strategy alone is not enough. "Strategies take on value only as committed people infuse them with energy," wrote Henry Mintzberg. This session will examine how managers can create a culture where employees are motivated to do their best work while aligned around common purpose and coherent strategy. Participants will look at the vision, aspirations, and strategic priorities of the University and consider how individual units and employees can connect and contribute to the whole. Presenter: Gordy Pace, Director of Strategy Implementation & Communications.

3. Apply something you've learned

After the learning session, each participant will be asked to work on implementing something from the unit. You will also have a chance to discuss your plans with other cohort members to learn how they will apply the concepts from this unit, seek or share advice, and provide informal peer mentoring support.

Implement one of these suggestions for applying your online learning to your management work--or create your own application!

• Get your team together to create or review your unit’s vision, mission, and top three priorities. Does everyone see how their work contributes?   
• Practice making clear requests and ensuring commitments when developing work assignments. Do you notice any difference in the outcomes?
• Find a way to recognize or celebrate a team member that has demonstrated the value of accountability in their work. 
• If you have been frustrated by a team member’s lack of ownership or responsibility, prepare for and hold a conversation with them to address it.