by Lisa Ullrich

Created on: February 18, 2010

I don't feel leadership should take the blame for staff errors.  As a manager, it is my responsibility to provide training and assistance to my subordinates.  It is my staff's responsibility to take pride in their work, double check for errors, and ask questions if they are confused or don't know procedures.  Managers are not there to hold their hand, watch over their shoulder every second, be their spellchecker or grammar police.  With technology, in this day and age, there is really no excuse for spelling errors.  Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect, but with a little effort, proofreading and concentration, a person can be close to perfect. 

Many things do come from the top down, such as good attitudes, respect, and morale.  Each individual person is responsible for their own work ethic and quality of work.  Staff cannot blame managers for their own lack of attention to detail, concentration or initiative.  Managers are not to blame for staff who can't spell or who pay attention to everything else around them and not their work.

Managers are responsible for solving problems.  If there are certain mistakes that keep happening, it is the manager's responsibility to look for a solution to prevent the same mistakes from happening in the future.  If the mistakes are based on a poor worker, the manager's responsibility is the meet with the worker, discuss the issues, and try to find ways to resolve them.

Each of us are responsible for our own work.  Managers hire subordinates because they need assistance.  Managers don't have the time to double check everything their subordinates do.  Staff are hired for a job and given those responsibilities to handle.  If staff can't handle their responsibilities, they may not be cut out for the job.  If that is the case, the manager would need to find a better suited person for the position.

Many times mistakes are made because there is too much of the following:

 - personal conversations with co-workers

 - personal phone calls

 - personal emails

 - surfing the internet on company time

 - distractions from co-workers

 - rushing through your work

Managers can have an impact on the above list.  Managers need to keep their staff in line when they take too many detours along the way.  People seem to have forgotten they are paid to do a certain job and to do it well.  Step up to the plate, do your job to the best of your ability and stop pointing your finger at others when you make a mistake.  Own up to your own mistakes.  Everyone makes them.  We are only human, after all.

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