Holding someone accountable for something requires having a few pieces in place. All too often, we work with leaders who don’t fully understand why their team members are unresponsive or responding negatively to their attempts at accountability. With some exploration of the situation, it quickly becomes clear that the essential elements aren’t in place. Let’s talk about the top five ways to follow through with accountability.
But first…
Here’s what happens all too often. We show up at a meeting, running in from the last one that went over by 10 minutes. Once in the meeting, we see a team member and remember that we wanted them to be working on something. There hasn’t really been a conversation about it, but we know “accountability” is important, so we ask about the status of task X. The team member is caught off guard, gets defensive, and starts to make excuses.
Or, we avoid asking about the tasks all together because we don’t want to risk provoking that kind of response.
This isn’t accountability. This is poor management, public shaming, or avoidance.
Five ways to follow through with accountability
Leaders miss key things that need to be in place in order for accountability to exist.
- You’ve got to start with setting crystal clear expectations. If the person you’re asking to get something done isn’t clear about the what, when, where, who, why and how of things, how can you hold them accountable? Otherwise, it just feels like an ambush.
- There has to be a clear timeline for when accountability check ins will happen. Someone can agree with you that a task is a priority. But without a specific conversation around when they will report back about progress and other timeline-related details, how can you hold them accountable for getting it done? When you try, it feels like bullying.
- The person fulfilling the expectation must agree to being held accountable. Once the expectations are clear, the person being charged with fulfilling them must agree that they will. It’s helpful to get confirmation that they know where to start, who to call on for help, and when they’ll be expected to report on progress. Without getting that agreement, you risk a defensive reaction that they never agreed to do the task.
- Be courageous. Sometimes we hold back from engaging more directly in accountability. It’s uncomfortable. We’re afraid of the other person’s reaction or answer. We don’t want to look like a bully. However, if you’ve laid the foundation for holding someone accountable, don’t miss the opportunity to see it through. Not following through is just as damaging to the accountability culture as not setting clear expectations and getting agreement.
- Ask more questions. There’s always room for asking more questions to clarify, confirm, or correct. Whether it’s your own understanding that needs it, or clarifying things with the other person, ask more questions. Get to the bottom of things. Don’t walk away wondering.
Bottom line?
To hold someone accountable, you have to work backwards. Start with laying the foundation through clear expectations and getting agreement. Once that’s been established, accountability gets a hell of a lot easier. For additional tips and resources, check out this article.
What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to accountability? Share it and then share what you wished would happen instead. Together we grow!
