I have noticed an interesting trend over the past year or so. It would seem that more and more attention is being paid to holding others accountable for their actions.
Maybe the recent financial meltdown, corporate scandals, and the general abuse of public trust are responsible for this trend. Perhaps organizations are finally waking up to the dire need for accountability within their ranks... Whatever the case may be, you can't help but hear a lot more commentary in the media, on the web, and around the water cooler about holding others accountable.
Heck, I'm even getting calls from sales reps telling me how important it is to hold others accountable and how their product can help me do just that!
While part of me wants to be excited about the possibility of positive change taking place in the workplace and society as a whole, the cynic inside me can't help but wonder if the term accountability is headed to that special place where well intentioned buzzwords and business cliches go to die.
Anyone remember "value added", "employee empowerment, "or "total quality management (TQM)"? How about the time honored, "Our employees are our greatest assets"?
Allow me to pause while you reflect upon fond memories of past managers who proudly used these phrases as a means to show off their business "savvy". One can't help but cringe at the mere thought of it.
Here's the thing, accountability is so much more than a buzzword. When embraced as a core organizational value, it has the power to improve performance, bring about profound change, and Maximize Possibility. On the other hand, when accountability is thrown around like so many other buzzwords before it, morale is destroyed, mediocrity thrives, and top performers leave for greener pastures.
Here are 5 things you can do to keep accountability from becoming a worn out buzzword in your organization:
1. First and foremost, personal accountability is a must. It all starts here and makes all other forms of accountability possible.
2. Understand what holding others accountable really means. Holding others accountable is the process of calling out undesirable behavior and doing something to change it. Note the key phrase here - doing something about it!
3. Provide the proper level of authority necessary to enforce accountability. It's hard to be a high accountability organization if your managers and team members aren't able to do anything to change the undesirable behavior of others. See Michelle Malay Carter or Tom Foster's blogs for great posts on the requisite authority model based on the work of Elliot Jaques.
4. Start at the top. The lack of accountability almost always spreads from the top down. A fish stinks from the head down, if you will... See my previous post about a food born illness outbreak in Canada for a good example of leadership by setting the tone from the top down.
5. Eliminate corporate welfare. The recession has done a good job of this, however better times will return and the likelihood for relapse increases. Stay consistent and accountability won't be seen as a fad by your team members.
Accountability can be a powerful force when approached correctly - don't let it become another contemptuous buzzword!
Now Go Maximize Possibility!
