| Successful teams cannot exist without | | | | the one who is considered unreliable. You're past |
| accountability--high performance and accountability | | | | the point of no return. It's too late for |
| go hand-in-hand. | | | | expectations. It's a "gotcha" of the worst kind in |
| Accountability starts with understanding the truth | | | | every sense. |
| and continues with the thoughts, words, and | | | | It is the role of both the sender and the receiver |
| actions of everyone involved in your organization. | | | | of the information to make sure all the potholes |
| In my book, Winning with Accountability: The | | | | are filled before the task begins. |
| Secret Language of High-Performing Organizations, | | | | Use Specific Language |
| I explain how accountability is the key to | | | | Avoid vague language such as "ASAP," "I'll get |
| long-term, sustained organizational success. To | | | | right on it," "I'll do my best," or "I'll turn it in by the |
| create a high-accountability culture, an organization | | | | end of the day." These types of ambiguities are |
| must be able to identify accountability gaps. | | | | all part of the Glossary of Failure... and every one |
| Execution fails when accountability--the process | | | | of these vague phrases increases the chances of |
| and language of transferring strategies into | | | | relationship or project failure. |
| reality--is missing. If you have ever experienced a | | | | Like the three most important rules of real estate |
| failure in a relationship or project, you may have | | | | are "location, location, location," the three most |
| found that, in hindsight, clear outcomes may not | | | | important rules in creating an accountability culture |
| have been properly communicated to all of the | | | | are "specificity, specificity, specificity." |
| players, thus there were accountability gaps. | | | | Practice making commitments, using the Language |
| Identify Accountability Gaps | | | | of Accountability by saying, "I will do it on 'X' date |
| High-accountability cultures are something you can | | | | at 'X' time." Rather than saying, "We'll have the |
| see. | | | | project completed by the end of the day," tell |
| To illustrate this, let's take a professional | | | | your counterpart, "I'll have it wrapped up by |
| basketball player, a star of the NBA who, at one | | | | Tuesday, June 13th at 10 a.m., your time." |
| time in his career, declared, "I'm not a role model. | | | | Using the Language of Specificity will increase |
| Parents should be role models." | | | | accountability and strengthen the accountability |
| We're not using his name here because that was | | | | culture within your organization. |
| a goofy thing for any star athlete to say. | | | | State It Once |
| Because, despite what he thought, there were | | | | A Culture of Accountability also helps eliminate |
| thousands of children admiring that NBA star, | | | | redundancy. |
| wearing his jersey number, and shooting baskets | | | | Focusing solely on a problem and not on the |
| until dark to become just like him. In the context | | | | solution wastes resources on redundancy. |
| of accountability, even though he was a top | | | | Everyone knows what the problem is... your |
| scorer and exciting to watch on the court, you | | | | energy and resources need to be focused on |
| could see that athlete wasn't a star in the Culture | | | | solving the problem. It may be productive to |
| of Accountability. | | | | voice the problem once, but then it is time to |
| Now, let's turn the dial to 1993 and the | | | | move the momentum toward a solution to |
| confrontation at the Mt. Carmel Complex of the | | | | improve your position. Redundancy is not in many |
| Branch Davidians led by David Koresh in Waco, | | | | job descriptions. |
| Texas. | | | | A good example of the momentum of leadership |
| On April 19, 1993, Attorney General Janet Reno | | | | would be a conversation like this: |
| gave the FBI permission to flush the Davidians out | | | | Manager: "I've noticed Phil isn't coming through |
| of their residence, using tanks to smash holes in | | | | with his assignments on time... and it's getting to |
| the walls of the building and then spraying tear | | | | be a real problem for me." |
| gas into the residence. Agents then fired more | | | | You: "I've also noticed that, too. What's causing it? |
| than 350 "ferret" grenades into the building, but | | | | Where have we failed to set specific timelines and |
| none of the Davidians obeyed the FBI's command | | | | expectations?" |
| to exit the residence. A fire then broke out and | | | | In pointing out that the failure may be on |
| 76 Davidians, including 27 children, perished. | | | | leadership's shoulders, you're looking into the |
| As word of the confrontation and resulting deaths | | | | mirror to find solutions. |
| made the evening news, Janet Reno stepped up | | | | State the problem once, eliminate redundancy, |
| to the microphone at a White House press | | | | and move toward the solution. |
| conference. "I made the decision," she said. "I'm | | | | Reverse the Momentum |
| accountable. The buck stops with me." Her words | | | | Language momentum can be reversed... from any |
| were notable--and noticeable--because you rarely | | | | person in the organization. |
| hear politicians speak this way. At that time, she | | | | Here's an example: |
| was the first female U.S. attorney general and | | | | In 1975, a movie about a mammoth killer shark |
| fairly new to her job. Yet, in the face of a tragic | | | | was filmed. The title--Jaws. |
| and controversial situation, she stepped forward | | | | After this shark has eaten a few tourists, a town |
| and was accountable. You could see that Janet | | | | meeting is called where the mayor, the chief of |
| Reno was exhibiting an accountability culture that | | | | police, the city council and some influential business |
| was the model for her entire organization. | | | | owners are all in attendance. |
| So, what does a high-accountability culture look | | | | Many see no other option but to close the local |
| like? Accountability cultures do not happen | | | | beaches to fend off any more attacks and more |
| overnight. The culture evolves from one person | | | | bad publicity. However, businesses in the |
| or event to the next. One common denominator | | | | community want to leave them open. This is the |
| is that in accountability cultures everyone holds | | | | "high" season for tourists and closing the beaches |
| each other accountable for their commitments in | | | | now will bankrupt most of the community. |
| a positive and productive manner. | | | | The argument goes back and forth between the |
| As mentioned earlier, if you had ever had a | | | | two factions for several minutes. No ground is |
| relationship or a project fail, chances are high that | | | | gained and neither of the two sides is willing to |
| failure occurred because specificity was missing at | | | | give an inch or find a compromise. The meeting is |
| the front end and expectations weren't clear. | | | | at a stalemate. The upper echelon of the town's |
| That relationship or that project failed because | | | | organizational chart is stuck in the problem. The |
| there were "accountability gaps." | | | | arguing is getting louder and louder. |
| Accountability gaps are like potholes in a road. The | | | | Then, the gut-wrenching sound of nails being |
| gaps are holes that need to be filled quickly with | | | | dragged down the blackboard interrupts the |
| specificity before greater damage is done. Just | | | | argument. Suddenly the room is silent and necks |
| like potholes in the road need to be filled quickly | | | | are craned to see a simple fisherman sitting at |
| with paving materials before the holes become so | | | | the back of the room near the blackboard. When |
| large that they damage the cars on the road, an | | | | he has the room's attention, he quietly offers, "I |
| "accountability gap" exists when specificity is | | | | can kill that fish for $6,000." |
| missing. | | | | That pronouncement, made by the somewhat |
| Let's take poor Max, who was hired by a large | | | | obscure and low-profile fisherman (who was |
| company. His boss told him, "Max, we're glad to | | | | probably not on anybody's org chart), changed |
| have you on the team, and as long as you do a | | | | the entire momentum of the meeting... and also |
| good job, your employment with us is solid." | | | | changed the direction and focus of an entire town. |
| Unfortunately, his boss didn't tell Max, specifically, | | | | The simple fisherman had taken on the leadership |
| what a good job looked like (count this as one | | | | role, and from that point forward, the town's |
| pothole). When Max headed the team for a major | | | | momentum had shifted to assembling the team |
| project, the boss said, "Get that final report to | | | | that would kill that shark! |
| me as soon as you can." Once again, did that | | | | That's the way it can work in any situation. It's |
| mean tomorrow or next week? Max did his best | | | | the leader's job to reverse the momentum of |
| but the report was several days tardy in his | | | | negative interactions-- and anyone can be the |
| boss's eyes (another pothole). | | | | leader regardless of their position on the |
| By the time Max was fired, his tenure was rutted | | | | organizational chart. You can reverse the |
| with potholes, lacking specificity and becoming | | | | momentum by applying your skills and energy |
| deeper and causing more damage as the weeks | | | | toward a new, positive outcome. When a |
| and months went by. | | | | conversation is in the past (with celebrations as an |
| Max failed because there was specificity missing in | | | | exception) you are probably focused on a |
| every expectation and assignment. Nothing was | | | | "problem" or, perhaps, assigning blame. However, |
| clearly stated at the front end... and when there's | | | | by changing the momentum and focusing the |
| no specificity on the front end, Max was set up | | | | dialogue on the future, you are now working on a |
| to fail. | | | | "plan." |
| But, let's not throw Max's boss under the bus just | | | | In short, you have the power to identify |
| yet. Max made a big mistake, as well. He | | | | Accountability Gaps during interactions and fill |
| "assumed" he knew what the boss meant when | | | | them with Specificity. You have the power to |
| he was told to "do a good job" and to get the | | | | identify when an interaction is "going negative" and |
| report completed "as soon as you can." | | | | reverse the momentum so that everyone |
| Assumptions dig deep potholes and are great | | | | involved in the interaction benefits! |
| contributors to accountability gaps leading to a | | | | To find out how well you and your organization |
| failed project or relationship... and these lead to | | | | are doing at preventing Accountability Gaps, take |
| bad feelings, which become a vicious cycle of | | | | the free Accountability Assessment. |
| dysfunction. | | | | Excerpted from Henry Evans' book, Winning with |
| Accountability is a two-way street. If you | | | | Accountability: The Secret Language of High |
| complete a task that was not specific and | | | | Performing Organizations (Cornerstone Leadership |
| someone is disappointed in your work, you are | | | | Institute, 2008). |