Positive Accountability

Accountability: “The obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner.”When something goes wrong and the finger pointing begins, that is how most people perceive accountability. But success as a leader or as a productive team cannot occur without it. When accountability is front-loaded into strategy, early in implementation, before the outcome is known, then it strengthens relationships, eliminates surprises, improves performance and enhances job satisfaction.

The key to using accountability in a positive way is to provide specific details and clear expectations prior to strategy or project implementation. Then, producing a successful result involves securing continuous feedback.

At the start, after you have described your expectations with specificity (“success means/looks like…”), ensure that your team clearly understands your message by asking: “How do you interpret what I’ve just said?”

Set a high testing standard to measure quality, and as the project proceeds, frequently secure feedback about progress from all stakeholders: your team, customers, etc.

Accountability will be seen as positive when your commitments have been fulfilled in the eyes of others. For accountability to be utilized in a positive manner there must be clear expectations from both the sender and the receiver. And, it is both parties’ responsibility.