Accountability is a hot topic right now as the economy is strengthening. No more crutches and excuses allowed. It goes right along the thinking of ‘people most often know what to do but are just not doing it, or not doing it well’. So where does accountability come into play?
People today will tell you they have: too much to do, too little time, too few resources. Accountability to themselves and the team often takes a back seat as a priority. Why? There‘s lack. Lack of understanding, involvement and feedback. Lack of people doing what they say they are going to do. So accountability gets a bad rap. It’s not an extra activity, it’s doing things right.
Accountability thrives by setting people up for success in advance. People need to be taught how to think and act to achieve the organizational goals. Really.
For example, let’s take getting my 16 year olds to be accountable for their weekly responsibilities. I can:
• tell them what to do (will they hear me?)
• bribe them (will they do it more than once?)
• force them (will they resist?)
• or involve them (gaining mutual agreement for desired results works!)
What’s the style most prevalent in your organization regarding accountability for results? Involvement is key. Think about it, without clear direction and expectations people are being paid to guess.
In my recent research it’s become clear that prioritizing accountability is a real game changer for the teams and organization. Here are 3 specific reasons why you care:
1. makes your job easier
2. saves time
3. makes more money
All good!
