I have clients who ask me all the time, “Why don’t people just do what they are supposed to do?” It is a simple question that, unfortunately, doesn’t have a simple answer. Not everyone thinks the same way you do about getting work done and there could be other issues that need to be uncovered. Here are a few examples of what could be happening.
The easiest way to think about it is that every person comes to work each day with a whole lot of baggage. Their baggage may contain thoughts about things that happened in their past, personal issues that happened that day, or things they are worrying about happening in the future. All of those thoughts get in the way of just getting work done sometimes.
The person may also be afraid to ask for help or be insecure about what they are doing. They are trying to find out the answers on their own instead of just asking for help. They don’t know what to do and you are trying to hold them accountable to deliver what they promised. This is where conflict shows up.
What can you unpack in the conversation that will help them? Are they looking at things from a past perspective or worrying about things that may not happen? Can you help them see that it is a positive thing to ask for help? Show them by example that you have struggled with this in the past and now you see it as a strength, not a weakness.
Leaders sometimes have to play detective to uncover what is really going on. The sooner you figure the person out, the easier it will be to motivate them. Building awareness for people can be the best thing to help them see that they can do more. It may take some time for them to shift behavior, but your outcome may be that you don’t have to hold them accountable at all. They could become self-motivated and do what is necessary to get the job done without you being so involved. That is a win-win for both of you!