Accountability.

It’s a word that gets thrown around a lot. We need more of it. People need to take it. Leaders need to hold others to it. And when something goes wrong, someone inevitably needs to be held to it.

What comes to mind when you hear the word accountability?

Does it feel positive? Or does the very mention of it make you feel a little uncomfortable?

More often than not, it evokes negative feelings.

Why does accountability get such a bad rap?

I think sometimes it’s because accountability comes out of the blue. Expectations haven’t been clear, there’s been little follow-up along the way, and then suddenly someone is being held to account for something they didn’t fully understand was expected of them.

Other times, it’s because accountability has been experienced as blame, criticism or judgement – something that happens to you when you’ve done something wrong.

Yet done well, accountability is incredibly valuable.

It creates clarity around expectations, encourages ownership and growth and helps you as a leader or person of influence, address issues before they become bigger. Accountability also contributes to greater consistency and performance across an organisation.

So how do you make accountability a more positive and productive experience?

There are many things you can do, but I think there are two important places to start.

1. Make sure accountability doesn’t come as a surprise

Your people/team members need to know what’s expected of them in the first place. Be clear about the expectation, what good looks like and why it matters. Check in along the way and have conversations when something starts to go off track, rather than waiting until it becomes a much bigger issue.

If you’re having a conversation with someone about something they haven’t delivered, it shouldn’t be the first time they’re hearing that it mattered, what was expected of them, or that there was a concern.

Accountability is much easier to achieve when the other person knows what they’re accountable for.

2. Bring generosity to the conversation

When it does come time to hold someone to account, I think one of the most powerful things we can bring to the conversation is generosity.

And by generosity, I don’t mean letting your people/team members off the hook or lowering the standard.

I mean that when someone hasn’t done something we expected them to do, rather than immediately assuming we know why, we get curious.

Or, as I talk about in The Connect Effect, we approach the conversation with COMPASSIONATE CURIOSITY- seeking to understand what’s happened before making assumptions about why it happened.

We ask questions. We give them the opportunity to explain what happened before we jump in with judgement or criticism.

Questions like:

• What happened?
• What got in the way?
• What do you specifically mean when by X?
• What led you to approach it that way?

When we approach accountability like this, we have a much better chance of understanding what’s actually going on, addressing the real issue and helping the other person take ownership of it.

If we go straight to blame, judgement or telling someone what they need to do, we can actually take ownership away from them.

When we ask questions and invite them to think about what happened, what they could have done differently and what they’ll do next, we put the ownership back where it belongs.

So, the next time you need to hold someone to account, get clear on the expectation and then bring some generosity to the conversation.

You might be surprised by what you learn, and by how much more ownership the other person takes as a result.

I trust that’s been helpful and got you thinking in some way, shape or form.

Until next week, be well and lead well

Kylie