Everyone agrees that holding people accountable is crucial for high performing teams and organizations.
And yet, so many leaders do this very poorly.
Some of the implications for lack of accountability include:
- Below average performance of the team and organization
- Resentment builds among team members
- Lack of accountability becomes a part of the culture and spreads
- Lose high performers who leave the company
Here is what you need to do to become better at holding others accountable:
1. Make sure that you set the standard by following through with every commitment. You set the tone. Learn more here.
2. Establish specific outcomes for every job. Hold people accountable for the results they need to produce, not progress on their to do list.
3. Make sure you are clear on the specific expectations of every team member.
4. Communicate commitments made by each team member in writing after every team meeting.
5. When people miss deadlines, contact them and ask for an update. Discipline yourself to do this every time. Don’t play favorites. And, you don’t have to be a jerk about it. Just ask.
6. Encourage your team to hold one another accountable.
This is a good start. If you do these things consistently, then you will build a culture of accountability. In time, this culture will reinforce itself. High performers will be drawn to your team.
