MODERN LEADERSHIP
strongly reflected in your business
results.
A culture of accountability
engenders trust, a personal sense
of responsibility to outcomes,
shared commitment to strategic
goals, collaboration, constant
constructive feedback, and the
courage to hold both self and others
answerable. It is about being
immediately responsive, proactive,
and completion focused- Essentially,
about getting things done when they
need to be.
When these behaviours are
lacking, a team suffers from
underachievement: “I sent her
an email, but never heard back”
(Shoulder shrug), “I called once but
the line was busy” (Done my bit),
“Do I have to do everything around
here”(Victim), “It’s not my job to
chase him up”(Resentment), “That’s
not what I get paid to spend my time
doing”, (Pride) “I’m too busy” (Self
importance), “That’s not in my KPI’s”
(I only do what I have to). In many
cases, this ‘I work within my own set
of boundaries’ attitude can be turned
around by addressing matters of
both the head and the heart.
Here are five tips for converting solo
participants into team players with
an enhanced sense of commitment
to group goals.
1
Create a trusting
environment:
Set expectations for team
engagement that is non-judgmental,
accepting, respectful and gracefully
honest. When team members
feel ‘safe’ with each other, they are
willing to risk vulnerability to the
group, and will contribute ideas,
suggestions, and constructive
feedback without fearing hidden
agendas, ridicule, cynicism or one
upmanship. Interpersonal trust
is the key and the all-important
driver behind an enhanced sense of
personal responsibility to make a
contribution- to playing one’s part in
creating positive steps toward the
achievement of an agreed goal.
2
Encourage robust
discussion:
Once a safe environment of
interpersonal trust has been created,
generate round table contribution
of solution-focused conversation
in which everyone provides input.
Having the opportunity to have ones’
ideas heard and considered inspires
ownership of and participation in
any eventual strategic plan of action
agreed upon.
3
Communicate a clear
vision:
Everyone needs to know exactly what
it is they are going to be accountable
to. Make it your responsibility to
clarify in detail the desired end
result of any plan of action, decision,
or goal. Ensure that not only is a
vivid picture of desired outcomes
painted but also that the team has
a clear view of the attributes for
engagement and participation, to
which they are to hold each other
accountable.
4
Ensure commitment
Having ensured that the team
understands the rules of the
accountability game, what ‘success’
looks like and their specific role
within that dynamic, request a
pledge to those exact actions, work
values and attitudes that will ensure
that the outcome envisioned comes
to fruition, essentially placing team
results over ego issues.
5
Promote real-time peer
feedback
Having set the scene for the creation
of an environment that serves
as an effective framework for
accountability, all good intentions
will crumble as soon as a blind
eye is turned to low performance
standards. Provide your team with
both your permission and your
expectation that each will hold the
other accountable- responsible to
a primary focus on agreed results
and all the enacted team values and
behaviours that go hand in hand with
making that happen.
None of us can be forced to think
or behave in a prescribed fashion.
The driving motivation to ‘be
accountable’ must come from within,
but may be influenced from without.
Encouraging a team sense of trust,
inclusion, respect, and of being a
valued contributor to an envisioned
end result, will help to pull lone
wolves from their protective lairs.
Muffy Churches is the author of Coach
Yourself, A 7-Step Guide to Personal
Fulfilment (Love & Write Publishing).
Born in the US and settled in Sydney, she
works as executive coach, leadership
trainer, speaker, author, and counsellor.
She has extensive experience in
inspiring and initiating positive
behavioural change in clients around the
world. For more information visit www.
muffychurches.com or contact muffy@
muffychurches.com
November 2016
ModernBusiness
29