It’s one thing to hold yourself accountable, but do you hold others accountable? Do you have the skill and the will or do you play the blame game?
By others we mean your team members, managers and leaders, too! Accountability is multi-directional.
First off, let’s start by defining accountability. Accountability is having the competence and motivation to follow through on promises and commitments. Set your team up for success by encouraging a culture of accountability tailored to your organization’s specific structure and goals.
Holding everyone, at all levels of your organization, responsible leads to high accountability which creates alignment, encourages a safe space for interactive feedback (feedback, feedforward, and follow-up), and facilitates a healthy environment for learning and application.
Envision a dragon boat. Everyone in the boat is going in the same direction and paddling in unison—in the exact same way, at the same time—that’s how they are able to move forward so smoothly. They are aligned.
Aligned teams are accountable teams.
We’ve all heard there is no “i” in “team”, but within a team there is the power of the “i”, the “we”, and the “us”. What does this mean?
Make a commitment to be accountable in order to achieve collective goals. This ultimately creates a sustainable system in which team members support and help one another.
Don’t be afraid to flex your leader assertiveness and adjust your leadership style to best align with those you’re working with and holding accountable.