Dealing with Accountability: When the Real Issue Isn’t the Person, but the Management

Recently, a client reached out for advice on handling an Administrative Assistant who had been exhibiting rude and dismissive behavior. As the assistant’s internal customer, my client understandably felt the need to address this issue, but was unsure how to proceed. We decided to practice a useful skill called "just the facts, what's my conclusion, is it true?"

She began by stating the facts to the Admin: "I have tried to contact you six times in the last three days during business hours and left multiple voicemails and emails with no response. The conclusion I'm drawing is that you're not working during the day or just avoiding me. Is this accurate?"

The response she received was a classic deflection: the Admin claimed to be "really busy" and said it wasn't her responsibility to be available during set hours, since she has a flexible schedule. This left my client feeling stuck and unsure how to proceed.

At this point, I encouraged her to have a conversation not with the Admin, but with the Admin's supervisor. Why? Because ultimately, this is a management issue, not just a personal one.

The Real Root of the Problem

We often get frustrated with the wrong person when things go wrong at work. It’s easy to blame the individual who isn’t responding or meeting expectations, but what we really need to ask is: Has this person’s supervisor set clear expectations and held them accountable?

In this case, the Admin's lack of responsiveness wasn't just about her being "too busy." The real issue was that the supervisor wasn’t ensuring the Admin provided proper customer service to her internal stakeholders. If the Admin’s role involves responding to internal customers and she’s failing to do that, the supervisor needs to clarify expectations and set boundaries around the flexible schedule.

Redirecting Accountability

As frustrating as it can be to hit a wall with an employee, if that person isn’t being managed effectively, the real conversation needs to happen with their supervisor. A few key questions I had my client consider before approaching the supervisor were:

1. Has the supervisor made their expectations clear? Does the Admin know how quickly she’s expected to respond to internal requests or prioritize tasks? If these expectations haven’t been communicated, the problem lies with the supervisor.

   
   

2. Is the supervisor helping prioritize the Admin's work? If the Admin claims to be “too busy” to respond, it’s possible she has competing priorities. This is where the supervisor needs to step in, clarify priorities, and make sure the Admin knows what tasks are non-negotiable.

   
   

3. Is there accountability in place? Flexible schedules don’t mean a lack of accountability. Is the supervisor following up to ensure the Admin is still meeting her responsibilities despite having a flexible schedule?

   
   

Ultimately, when employees fail to meet expectations, it’s often a reflection of a larger management issue. My client learned that instead of spinning her wheels with the Admin, the real progress would come from addressing these questions with the Admin’s supervisor.

The Lesson: When you're frustrated with someone's behavior, take a step back and assess whether management has set the individual up for success. If the structure isn't there, it’s not about the employee's personal performance—it’s about leadership taking responsibility for their team's actions.

Having the right conversations with the right people makes all the difference.