BLOG 111220: Accountability is CRITICAL! Here's How To Do It Right

Accountability is CRITICAL! Here's How To Do It Right.

Accountability for results is CRITICAL! It's critical in life, in business, in relationships... across the board.

This blog will deepen your knowledge and skill on the following:

  1. What IS accountability? (Unfortunately, it's become a buzzword that's lost its meaning.)
  2. How can I hold myself and my people accountable for results?

I recently interviewed the top executives of a good-sized small company (500 employees) and the #1 problem they shared with me was the lack of accountability in the organization.

As a coach, I see this all the time in the firms with which I work. So, let's define it, clarify it, and most importantly, show you how to utilize this powerful tool for maximizing the value of yourself and your company.

What IS accountability, exactly?

Webster defines accountability as an obligation, a duty, and something to which one is answerable. Stephen Covey defines accountability as something that's measurable, observable, or discernible; or a combination of the three. 

So, someone makes or accepts a commitment (either internally - to oneself, like losing weight or eating better or learning more; or externally - to someone else, the company, the world around them). 

Some kind of result is desired, some kind of outcome. It's essential to CLARIFY those outcomes. This is a common failure point... the outcomes aren't clarified.

Next, is the question of what exact physical action needs to happen to move the situation forward? (D. Allen)

This is another failure point because these next steps aren't iterated or clarified. And it's hard to own something that's not clear.

Just defining the outcome and clarifying what needs to happen next will take you a long way towards accountability. It removes the fog.

But, you're NOT there yet!

How do I hold myself and others accountable?

Assuming you've clarified the results/outcomes desired and determined the next physical action that needs to occur, you can hold people accountable by following up with them on their obligations. Just ask, "Have you done the task or not?"

Suggestion: make sure in your regular meetings that each person's task list is shared with the team and reviewed for completion. Keep it tight! (In your personal life, you can do the same.) 

DON'T go off on tangents, reasons, explanations, or the like. Just find out whether it was done or not.

I guarantee that anyone interested in performing well WON'T like the peer pressure that comes with saying that tasks aren't complete. 

This is one of the simplest and most powerful methods to build accountability into your organization and your life. 

People who are held accountable for a task are 400% more likely to do it! That's execution. Wow!

Larry Bossidy, the renowned business leader of the Allied Signal turnaround and former chairman and CEO of Honeywell International, a Fortune 100 company, stated,

Execution is a systematic process of rigorously discussing the hows and whats, questioning, tenaciously following through, and ensuring accountability.

Harold Geneen, the former chairman and CEO of International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), the world's first conglomerate, used to hold monthly three-to-four day meetings with all the presidents of the more than 300 companies that ITT bought over the years and by holding these people accountable, built ITT into a $17 billion company.

If you want to get more accomplished... be held accountable (this is one thing good coaches do for their clients).

If you want your employees or family members to be more productive, hold them accountable in the ways I've mentioned above. 

Here are the basic steps in review:

  • clarify the outcome desired
  • determine the next tasks that would move things forward
  • follow-through via a scheduled appointment or meeting to determine whether or not these tasks were done.

I welcome your comments.

Contact me at the number below or send me an email if you want to discuss your situation. I look forward to hearing from you.


Jim Castiglia, Founder 
Business Street Fighter Consulting, LLC
919-263-1256
http://www.BSF.Consulting