Accountability Matters- Dealing with Personal Complacency

Smith-Lever logoComplacency is one of the most detrimental things that can impact Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Dave Anderson (2001) in his book No-Nonsense Leadership indicates that complacency in any organization starts with a complacent leader.   It is incumbent on our field managers to establish expectations and set the tone for the county, district and/or region. Lack of focus and urgency is an indication of ineffective leadership (Anderson, 2001).  Dave Anderson (2001) provides the following checklist that will ensure that field managers are on the right track and building a defense against complacency;

  • High Personal Goals- Every field manager with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service should have ambitious personal goals. Ambitious personal goals don’t allow field managers the luxury of relaxing. Goals are the best focus tools and when they are ambitious they stretch field managers’ progress and success. When field managers do this, tomorrow is never just “another day”!
  • Disciplined Focus- Field managers time and energy can easily become consumed with “putting out the next fire”.  The more time spent focusing on administrative initiatives (20 x 20 Resource Development Initiative, Making a Difference Interpretation Initiative, Recruiting a Diverse Workforce Initiative, Back to Basics Program Development Initiative, Accountability Matters Initiative, UrbanX 7, etc.), the more urgency field managers create to focus on outcomes and the less likely field managers become caught up in activities. Activities can be deceiving. The number of meetings is irrelevant if they don’t result in positive outcomes. According to Anderson (2001), complacent people don’t hold themselves accountable for getting enough specific results.
  • High Level of Personal Energy- It is impossible to energize others without a high personal energy level. Field managers can’t combat complacency from behind a desk in the District or County office.  If field managers don’t visit counties, attend educational events, program area committee meetings, and other county activities they will become increasingly disconnected from agents and their educational programming efforts. Effective leaders are visible, accessible, and energetic!
  • Commitment To Lifelong Learning- Nothing combats complacency for field managers more effectively than continuing to learn and improve their skills. In doing so, middle managers become more aware of how much they don’t know, and when they learn and improve their skills, they ignite the passion needed to use them (Anderson, 2001). Top leaders in every field deliberately and systematically develop and improve their skills. Effective leaders attend conference, short courses, seminars, read leadership and management books, and listens to leadership podcasts. This continued effort to improve skills and stretching field managers capabilities prevents complacency.
  • Passion- According to Anderson (2001), passion driven leaders make things happen because they create an atmosphere where people enjoy their work, believe anything is possible and are eager to invest the time and effort to make it happen. Anderson (2001) contends that passion comes from adhering to high personal goals, disciplined focus, a high level of personal energy, and a commitment to lifelong learning mixed with a genuine love for their profession.

Field managers with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service cannot afford to casually approach complacency. Everyone at every level of this great organization should have a “healthy dissatisfaction” for where we are administratively and programmatically.

Reference

Anderson, D. (2001). No-Nonsense Leadership: Real World Strategies To Maximize Personal & Corporate Potential. Dave Anderson Corporation.

This Article was Posted by Drs. Darrell A. Dromgoole and Susan Ballabina, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Categories: Improve Recruitment and Retention, Uncategorized