Definition of accountability: the quality or state of being accountable
especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account
for one's actions
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
65% is a big number. That's the percentage that over 12,000 teams in the infamous
Table Group (Pat Lencioni) study cited, recognizing peer-to-peer accountability as
being the worst of the 5 Team Dysfunctions. https://www.tablegroup.com/topics-and-
resources/teamwork-5-dysfunctions/
We just don't like holding others accountable but, accountability is certainly
something we need if we are going to be successful at work.
The real interesting thing is that it's impossible to "hold someone else accountable".
Think about it, we can't make anybody do something they really don't want to do
(short of threatening bodily harm).
So how do we get accountability from others and collectively get better at
delivering upon expected results?

One realistic way to do it is to "flip the accountability" by placing the onus and
responsibility for getting the results back on the offending party.
Jean Marie DiGiovanna in her 2020 Renaissance Leadership Series book, "Stop
Talking and Start Asking -- 27 Questions to Shift the Culture of Your Organization"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48980958-stop-talking-start-asking
has developed a 3 Question Process for Fostering Accountability. It goes like this.
At the end of every difficult conversation, ask the person
responsible the following 3 questions:
1) What will you Take on and by when?
2) How do you want to be held Accountable?
3) If you don't do what you say you will, how do you want me to
Be?
Many times we sit by and don't say what's on our mind. We invoke the belief that "it's
not my job, not my battle" but really, when it comes down to it, good or bad, helping
others to be accountable is our job.
Try Jean Marie's process and place accountability where it belongs.
Adapted from an article posted on LinkedIn 30th
July 2021 by Monte Pedersen
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monte-pedersen-9554a1126/
Successful teams can’t thrive without accountability in the workplace — results and
accountability are inextricably linked. Creating a company culture of accountability is
often the secret of high-performing teams; it fosters better work relationships,
improves job happiness, and eliminates surprises.
Why then is the meaning of accountability often charged with negative connotations,
stress, and even fear?

The reason is that we're accustomed to using the term as a disciplinary measure
when something's gone wrong and ownership (blame) is thrust upon someone.
Have you ever worked in a place that is routinely plagued by missed deadlines,
broken promises, or teammates ignoring the rules and failing to live up to their
commitments? It was probably in an organization that was low on trust and missing
accountability in its strategy.
The first step toward fostering a culture of accountability in the workplace is to
understand and redefine what it means.
Redefining the meaning of accountability
Webster’s Dictionary defines accountability as "the quality or state of being
accountable; an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions."
It doesn’t mean punishment; it’s a willingness to accept responsibility for our own
actions.
Henry Evans, the author of Winning with Accountability, defines it as “Clear
commitments that — in the eyes of others — have been kept.”
To promote accountability in the workplace:
1. Start with yourself
2. Set clear expectations
3. Create trust and psychological safety
4. Use the Accountability Puzzle
Let's dig deeper.
1. Start with yourself
Evans suggests that we should work on ourselves first before we approach a
conversation with our co-workers or direct reports. To do that he recommends noting
two commitments that are important to our success — one for your work and one for
your personal life. This exercise is critical whether you’re an IC, a manager, or the
CEO.
“Creating an accountability culture is to recognize that wherever you are on the
organizational chart, you encourage others to hold you accountable.”
— Henry Evans
Leaders are more effective in building a culture of accountability in their organization
when they are willing to be held accountable by others.

In personality psychology, this concept is known as “internal locus of control.”
Someone with an internal locus of control will believe that the things that happen to
them are greatly influenced by their own abilities, actions, or mistakes.
A person with an external locus of control will tend to feel that other forces — such
as random chance, environmental factors, or the actions of others — are more
responsible for the events that occur in the individual's life.
2. Set clear expectations
Accepting responsibility requires clarity in what is expected. Merely saying “complete
the project according to the highest standards and as soon as possible” will always
be unclear unless you provide specifics.
If you ask five people what “to the highest standards means,” you’ll probably get five
different answers. For someone, the highest standard for a project may be defined
as delivered with the greatest amount of detail and precision; someone else may find
effectiveness and agility more important than perfection. It’s the same for “as soon
as possible” — does ASAP mean in an hour, tomorrow, or next week?
Lack of specificity and unclear expectations create accountability gaps. To fill these
gaps and reduce ambiguity, try to be as specific as possible. Try the following:
 Define specific timeframes like “October, 3rd at 5PM your time”
 State who is responsible for the project and effort
 Describe what the completed version of the project should look like
(goal and outcome)
 Provide examples
3. Create trust and psychological safety
The authors for Crucial Accountability advise starting an accountability conversation
by creating safety — psychological safety — for your team.
“If you can create safety, you can talk with almost anyone about almost anything —
even about failed promises.”
Your teammates will feel unsafe if they think you don’t care about their goals or that
you don’t respect them. It’s all about framing the objectives and respect as mutual.
“At the very first sign of fear, you have to diagnose. Are others feeling disrespected?
Or do they believe you’re at cross-purposes? Or both? Then you have to find a way
to let others know that you respect them and that you’re not going to trample all over
their wishes.”

You must establish common ground before you can raise problems. Let others know
that your objective is to solve the performance gap & improve things for both of you.
4. Use the Accountability Puzzle
The Accountability Puzzle is a model created by Henry Evans that helps you create
accountable dialogue and actions.
The puzzle consists of four pieces:
1. Bridging the accountability gap with clear expectations — One
tool that helps with assessing specificity and clarity is
the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. framework. This framework makes certain your
expectation is specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented,
trackable, ethical, and recorded.
2. Specific date and time — Be specific about dates, times, and time
zones. Align priorities and resources with your biggest goals.
3. One task, one owner — According to Evans, only one person should
own a task, and a team cannot own a task.
4. Going public and sharing accountability — Accountability is
created when two or more people know about a specific commitment.
It’s crucial to make your team your accountability partners—it’s about
declaring your commitment and asking your teammates to hold you
accountable.
“When you have these four components embedded in requests that you make of
others, and in commitments that you make to others, individual and organizational
performance improve. By knowing and understanding each piece, you can start
having more productive and accountable dialogues immediately.”
— Henry Evans
Mastering accountability
Mastering accountability can help you have better performance discussions, achieve
better results and outcomes, and hold people accountable in a supportive way
without creating stress and fear. And it's a hallmark of highly effective teams.
To do this, you have to convey the purpose behind the work, create an environment
of autonomy, and communicate specific expectations transparently.
Learn more about how Check-ins and Objectives can help build a culture of
accountability, while keeping people feeling empowered and engaged.
Source: https://www.range.co/blog/accountability-in-the-workplace
Accessed 30th
July 2021